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Abruzzo - Land of Enchantment
Abruzzo is a region in Italy. Its western border lies less than fifty miles due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the Marche Region to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Although geographically central Italy, ISTAT, the Italian statistical authority considers Abruzzo part of Southern Italy, a vestige of Abruzzo's historic association with the Mezzogiorno, having been part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
The name Abruzzo derived from the Latin "Aprutium". This region was known as Aprutium in the Middle Ages arising from four possible sources. Many scholars believe it is apparently a corruption of Praetutium, or rather of the name of the people Praetutii, applied to their chief city, Interamnaes, now present day Teramo. Another etymology is from the Latin "aper" (boar) so that Aprutium was the "land of boars" or from "abruptum" (rugged, steep). A more recent etymology is from the Latin expression "a Bruttiis" (from the Bruttii) meaning the land that began from the Bruzi people, who moved south to occupy Calabria.
Until 1963 Abruzzo and Molise made up one Italian region. The term Abruzzi derives from the time when the region was part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the territory was administered as Abruzzo Citeriore (Nearer Abruzzo) and Abruzzo Ulteriore I and II (Farther Abruzzo I and II ), that being nearer and farther from Naples, the capital of the kingdom. Abruzzo Citeriore is present day Chieti province. Abruzzo Ulteriore I comprised the Teramo and Pescara provinces; Abruzzo Ulteriore II is now the Province of L'Aquila.