Atri
Where it is: Atri (TE) is immersed in the enchantment of the first hills of Teramo overlooking the Adriatic, in the territory between the Vomano and Piomba rivers. Easily accessible via the A14 motorway using the Atri / Pineto exit, it is characterized by the presence of majestic badlands, protected by a nature reserve established in 1995.
Why visit: monuments and historic buildings, churches, works of art and suggestive natural landscapes make this center of the province of Teramo an authentic open-air museum, one of the most beautiful art cities of Abruzzo. In one of his reports, the journalist and writer Giorgio Manganelli describes it as follows: “City of mountain contemplation, since it looks at both the Majella and the Gran Sasso d’Italia, it is resolutely a city that is more than ancient, archaic”. The proximity to the coast makes it an excellent starting point to reach the beaches of Roseto degli Abruzzi, Silvi or Pineto where, submerged in the seabed in front of the Torre del Cerrano, the remains of the ancient port of the Roman city of Hadria are visible.
What see:
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built between the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century, stands partly on an ancient Roman cistern transformed into a crypt. Its three portals are noteworthy, including a “Holy Door” by Rainaldo d’Atri (1305), as well as its bell tower with majolica tiles. The interior has three naves with pointed arches. Among the paintings, on the walls and pillars around the altar, it is possible to admire the cycle of frescoes by Andrea De Litio, an authentic masterpiece of the Abruzzese Renaissance;
Capitular Museum, attached to the Cathedral, is one of the oldest diocesan museums in Italy. It preserves a very rich collection of precious relics such as painted majolica, crosses and pastorals in ivory and silver, illuminated manuscripts, statues and hundreds of fragments and mosaics of the oldest buildings. The cloister with two rows of columns and a central well is also splendid;
Church of Sant’Agostino, has a beautiful portal made by Neapolitan masters and a bell tower similar to that of the nearby Cathedral. Inside, an interesting fresco by Andrea Delitio on the counter-façade;
Teatro Comunale, the work of the architect Francesco Consorti, was inaugurated in 1881. It is also called “the bonbonnière” for its size (300 seats), the enviable acoustics and the fine furnishings. of Milan, while the interior, with its three tiers of boxes and gallery, seems to refer to the S. Carlo of Naples.Inside there is also the Di Jorio Archive Museum, dedicated to the famous local musician;
Palazzo Ducale degli Acquaviva, seat of the municipality since 1917, was built at the end of the fourteenth century on the remains of a Roman spa complex. It was the residence of the ducal family until 1760. The façade in squared travertine blocks leads into a Renaissance courtyard surrounded by a loggia with Roman inscriptions and remains;
Calanchi Nature Reserve, includes an area of about 400 hectares. Established in 1995, it has been a WWF Oasis since 1999; it extends from 100 meters at the bottom of the Piomba stream to almost 500 meters at Colle della Giustizia. In addition to a splendid lunar landscape offered by the majestic natural architectures originating from a form of dynamic erosion, it is characterized by the presence of a rich and diversified fauna and by a notable floristic component;
Torre del Cerrano, located in the territory of nearby Pineto, represents one of the defensive outposts built by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century along the entire Abruzzo coast. Renovated in the nineties of the twentieth century, it is currently the seat of the Cerrano Marine Protected Area. On the beach in front, the dune area is reserved for the protection of the fratino bird and the Mediterranean flora such as the sea lily and the Gargano mullein;
Civic Ethnographic Museum
Educational museum of musical instruments
What to eat: among the products that characterize the city’s culinary offer, it is possible to taste the famous pecorino cheese obtained from whole raw milk with lamb rennet or let yourself be tempted by products based on licorice, a plant historically widespread in all the clayey lands of the Cerrano. Another typical feature of the area, recently involved in a recovery project after years of oblivion, is the Atrian black hen, an indigenous breed characterized by the production of small, tasty white eggs. Also tasty is the Pan Ducale, a typical city dessert whose recipe dates back to 1300, made with a mixture of eggs, flour and almonds and filled with dark chocolate.
Official website of the Municipality of Atri
Tourist portal of the Municipality of Atri
SOURCE: www.abruzzoturismo.it