Abruzzo

Sources from old books:

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

ABRVZZO, AND TERRA DI LAVORO, A PART of the Kingdome of NAPLES. (Book Abruzzo)

IN this Table two Countries of the Kingdome of Naples are to be described, Aprutium and Terra Laboratoris. The former or Aprutium, the Italians doe now call Abruzzo. The bounds thereof on the West are the Sabinians and Picentians, with the River Truentum: on the North the Hadriatick Sea, on the South the Picentinians, Campanians, Martians, Aequicolians, dwelling on every side of the Apennine Mountaine. The Country hath a very wholesome ayre, and is very populous, pleasant, and commodious toward the Sea, but the inward parts are Mountainous. Besides other commodities it hath abundance of Saffron, and it breedeth great store of Cattell. The chiefe Citty of this Country is Aquila. They report that the Langbards did build it, and afterward Charles Martell, or as some thinke, the Emperour Frederick the second did wall it, and fortifie it, and did call it Aquila, or Eagle, because the Emperours Standard had an Eagle in it. And this Citty in short time was so much enlarged, that it is now the principall Citty in all this Country. Moreover, there are the Townes Guastum, or Amontum in Italian Guasto di Amone, which Pliny and Mela call Histon•um, and Ptolemy Istodium without an aspiration. Laucianum is a famous Mart-towne, whether every yeere in the Moneths of May or August, Italians, Inluricians, Sicilians, Graecians, Asians, and Merchants from other parts of the world doe come to traffick. Soulmoon, which Ptolemy calleth Sulmo, and Strabo Soulmon, is now called Sulmona, as Leander witnesseth, and some doe call it Sermona. It is a faire Citty, both for beauty, populousnesse, and abundance of waters, and famous, because Ovid was borne here. Chieti commonly called Civita Cheto, is an Archiepiscopall Citty. Asculum is an ancient Citty, which Antoninus calleth Asculum, and Pliny calleth it the noble Colonie of Picenum. It standeth in a plaine open soyle, being well fortified with strong walls. On one side there is a high Mountaine with a Castle seated on it, on the other side it is fortified with the River Truentus. It is called now by a more fortunate and auspicious name Beneventum, though at first it were called Maleventum, from the rushes which it suffered a malo Vento, or from evill fierce windes. It is commonly called Beneventi. This Citty hath a very convenient and pleasant situation, and an excellent fruitfull soyle round about it. Sora is neere unto the River Lirus, being populous, and adorned with the title of a Dukedome. There is also the Towne which Ptolemy calls Aquinus, where the great Philosopher Thomas Aquinas was borne. It retaineth still that name, but it is almost fallen downe, yet the ruines doe shew the ancient largenesse thereof: and it hath the title of a Country. I omit the description of the other Townes for brevity sake. The Rivers here are Phinternus, which devideth Samnium from Apulia, commonly called Fortore. The Fountaine whereof issueth out of the Mountaine Tifernus, not farre from Bovianum. And it dischargeth it selfe into the Hadriatick Sea neere the Lesinensian Lake. There are also Trintus, which Pliny noteth is full of Havens, also Asinella, Sentus, Sangrus. There are also the Rivers Morus, Feltrinus, Pescara, Aternus, Rafentus, Orta, Liberata, Salmus, Plumba, Vomanus, Turdin•s, and others. Moreover, there are also among the Samnites Mountaines so high, that they doe exceed the Apennine Mountaines. Among which is the Virgins Mountaine, famous for S. Maries Church which is built thereon. Majella is a very great Mountaine, having a very difficult ascent, and full of rugged cliffes and Rockes. The top of it is continually coverd with Snow, yet it hath many greene Meddowes, and it sendeth forth many Rivers, and hath very spacious woods, which are full of wilde beasts, especially Beares, and it hath many rugged cliffes. There are also the tops of the Apennine, which they call Montes Tremuli, or the trembling Mountaines.

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Abruzzo, called by the Romans Aprutium, is a Province of the Kingdom of Naples; it is bounded on the East with Apulia, now Puglia, on the West with Marca Anconitana, on the North with the Adriatick Sea, and on the South with the Apennine; it was anciently the Seat of the Piceni, and the Samnites, which latter People by their Valor put the conquering Romans to the last refuge of chusing a Dictator four times, and afforded them the Honor of XXX. Triumphs. Their last was in 481. year of Rome, 270 years before our Saviours Birth: This is one of the greatest, richest, and best peopled parts of the Kingdom of Naples.