Avezzano

In 41 AD, in addition to the tunnels of the same name, the Emperor Claudius also built the Roman emissary through which the lake could be drained. 18 centuries later, Alessandro Torlonia, taking up the work again and finally draining the lake basin, restored and enlarged the underground tunnel. Over 6 km long, it has a variable section from 5 to 10 m² with a difference in height of 8.44 m and a gradient of 1.5 m/km. The majestic work that overlooks the emissary is in neoclassical style and was built in 1876. The architect Carlo Nicola Carnevali designed the floodgate bridge and the seven-meter-high stone statue of the Immaculate Conception of Mary above it, in addition to the surrounding Italian garden. The still functioning Incile del Fucino has two basins, one trapezoidal, the other hexagonal in shape, and three sluice gates. A small gorge separates the main basin from the forebay area. Visits to the monumental area are possible with a guide and reservation.

The Monte Salviano Reserve , formerly a periurban park, covers approximately 722 hectares. The protected area is popular for jogging and physical exercise, as it has a pedestrian path, protected from road traffic, and several mapped and marked trails. The pine forest, composed mostly of black pines and chestnut trees, is the area with the greatest characterization of the reserve, especially along the path that leads to the sanctuary of the Madonna di Pietraquaria. Among the typical animals of the reserve, we find the squirrel (symbol of the protected area), the badger, the fox, the skunk, the weasel, the hare, the griffon vulture and numerous finches. The area is rich in salvia officinalis and the yellow flowers of the salvione. The sanctuary of the Madonna di Pietraquaria, located at 1,000 meters above sea level, is one of the most loved and frequented places in the city. Nearby is the Pilgrim's House, a structure where herbs, plants and fruits of the mountain are exhibited. On the pass is the work of the sculptor Pietro Cascella inspired by the creation of life, called "Teatro della Germinazione". The most fascinating and interesting paths are the ancient "Via dei Marsi", a mountain path already existing in pre-Roman times and the path named after the scouting pioneer, Lord Baden Powell, which leads to the "Crocione", a wooden giant placed among the centuries-old trees in 1902.

The collegiate church of San Bartolomeo was the main religious building in Avezzano. The church was completely destroyed in the earthquake of 13 January 1915. The foundations of the building were brought to light in the excavation area. Over the years, the collective tombs, the priests' tomb, the ossuary and the remains of the church dating back to between the 16th and 18th centuries and some areas of the pre-existing churches built in the 9th-10th centuries and in the 12th century have emerged. By order of Marcantonio Colonna, a cardinal in the 18th century, the church became one of the spiritual homes of the Trinitarian nuns. The founder of the religious institute, Mother Maria Teresa Cucchiari, worked here from 1762. The nun was buried in a tomb of the religious building on June 10, 1801. The excavation campaign, which began in 2004, allowed the rediscovery of various elements relating to the imperial, medieval and Renaissance phases of the former collegiate church. In 2017, the remains of seven tombs from the Aragonese era were brought to light. The area undergoing further excavation and investigation activities represents the original urban centr3 of Avezzano before the devastation of the earthquake. In 1965, the civil engineering department created the commemorative monument by rebuilding a small part of the bell tower.

A natural cavity that opens on the eastern slopes of Mount Salviano at road 6 on the western edge of the Fucino plain. The small cave is about 10 m deep, about 23 m wide and 2 to 4 m high. The first exploration, dating back to 1949, and subsequent studies have made it possible to reconstruct much of the history of man and the ways in which he settled in the Fucino area over the last 20,000 years. During the Second World War, the cave was used by the inhabitants of Avezzano as a shelter from the Allied air raids that devastated the city located north of the Cassino line and along the road and rail communications axes of central Italy. The cave is flanked a short distance away by the Afra cave, a smaller shelter discovered in 1956. The first scientific news relating to the exploration and research in the Ciccio Felice cave date back to 1949 after the archaeologist Pietro Barocelli together with Antonio Mario Radmilli carried out the first reconnaissance inside the cavity, further excavations and research followed during the 20th century.

South of the Pettorino hill of Alba Fucens, between the hamlet of Antrosano and the northern area of the city, there are the funerary monuments of Valle Solegara. The mausoleums located on the side of the original route of Via Valeria date back to the imperial era. In the same area, traces of tombs have emerged that most likely date back to between the 7th and 5th centuries BC, therefore prior to the construction of the Roman colony of Alba. Not far away, between the hamlets of Antrosano and Cappelle dei Marsi, there is the archaeological site of Cretaro-Brecciara, whose necropolis was brought to light during the construction work of the Avezzano intermodal hub. The tombs date back to between the 8th and 7th centuries BC, while other finds such as armor discs, ornamental female discs and pendants can be traced back to the Republican era.

This archaeological site presents the remains of a large rustic building constructed in the Roman era. Located in the territory of the contemporary city of Avezzano, along the original and ancient route of the Via Tiburtina Valeria, the remains of the villa are flanked by the modern state road 5 Via Tiburtina Valeria. The area of archaeological interest was brought to light in 2004 following excavation work aimed at creating a shopping center and was opened to the public in 2008. Built in the 2nd century BC on a farm of about 3,000 m² that fell within the countryside of Alba Fucens , the colony founded by the Romans between 304 and 303 BC. The farm was used by the colonists primarily for agricultural cultivation and for other productive activities that were necessary for the needs of the large population of Alba Fucens. Inhabited until the beginning of the 6th century AD, the Roman villa was most likely abandoned following an earthquake that devastated the entire area.

The museum is divided into two sections: "Le Parole della Pietra", the former lapidary museum of Avezzano which houses about a hundred tombstones and inscriptions from the Roman era to the Renaissance, up to the small room dedicated to the earthquake of 1915 and "Il Filo dell'Acqua", an exhibition space dedicated to the draining of Lake Fucino which is a multimedia installation which illustrates the great hydraulic work that led to the disappearance of the third largest lake in Italy, modifying the economy and habits of the inhabitants of Marsica. The room dedicated to the city of Avezzano before the 1915 earthquake contains coats of arms, the portal of the Church of San Nicola, the capitals of the cathedral of San Bartolomeo and other pieces from buildings destroyed by the 1915 earthquake. The other rooms display epigraphs that speak of Roman figures such as the dictator Silla and the head of the Italian League Poppedio Silone, and tombstones from the archaeological areas of Alba Fucens, Lucus Angitiae, Marruvium and Ortona dei Marsi. The annexed "Giovanni Bozzi" cultural center hosts a rich library. Guided tours by reservation.

The museum, dedicated to electronics and information technology, permanently houses computers, consoles, pinball machines, arcade cabinets and video games made between the 1970s and the 2000s on a covered surface of approximately 1,500 m². Inaugurated in 2021, it features two large game rooms, two test rooms for playful interaction and exhibition spaces dedicated to retrogaming and retrocomputing. The game rooms do not feature gambling systems and smoking and drinking alcohol are prohibited. The museum spaces highlight the ingenious works of electronic, digital and musical entertainment.

Since 1998, the workshop has been hosting collective exhibitions of contemporary art.

Historical space of figurative art.

Exhibition of antique furniture, artistic decorations, antiques.

Exhibition space for emerging artists, contemporary art installations.

An archaeological site that occupies an elevated and well-fortified position. It was founded by Rome as a colony under Latin law in 304 BC, or according to other sources in 303 BC, in the territory of the Equi, close to that occupied by the Marsi, in a strategic position. It developed on a hill just north of the Via Tiburtina Valeria, an artery that was probably extended beyond Tibur in this same period. It was populated by 6,000 colonists who built, in the years immediately following their settlement, a first wall. It later became a place to confine important state prisoners, such as Syphax king of Numidia, Perseus king of Macedonia, Bituitus, king of the Arverni. Thanks to its location, the city was always considered strategically important, especially during the civil wars. For this reason it was attacked by the allies during the Social War, but remained faithful to Rome. In the post-war period, systematic excavations were undertaken for the first time to deepen historical and cultural knowledge of the city. The city is enclosed within a wall about 2.9 km long, largely preserved to the present day. The external walls are built with polygonal boulders perfectly set together and the surfaces are smooth. There is a single tower and two bastions protecting three of the four main gates. On one of these bastions there are phallic symbols that were supposed to ward off evil forces. On the northern side, a triple defensive line had been built for a length of approximately 140 metres, erected in different eras.