On March 20, 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was officially proclaimed. Three days later, on March 23, the Bourbon garrison of Civitella del Tronto finally surrendered — the last royalist stronghold to fall, after a siege that had lasted since October 1860. The Fortezza di Civitella del Tronto is the largest fortress in the Kingdom of Naples: 500 meters long on a narrow ridge, with bastions, barracks, churches, and cisterns — an entire fortified city on a mountaintop. Below the fortress, the medieval borgo descends steeply, and somewhere in its tangle of lanes is the Ruetta — a passage 43 centimeters wide at its narrowest point, claimed as the narrowest street in Italy. Abruzzo →
Plan my Abruzzo trip →La Fortezza (Bourbon Fortress): 500m long, covering the entire ridge top. Walk the ramparts for panoramic views — Gran Sasso to the west, the Adriatic to the east (on clear days). The Museo delle Armi (weapons museum) inside tells the siege story. €7. Plan 1.5-2 hours for the fortress. The borgo: Descend through narrow medieval streets. La Ruetta: The narrowest "street" — 43cm wide at its tightest point (you may need to shuffle sideways). The Collegiata di San Lorenzo: Renaissance church in the main piazza with paintings by local masters.
Getting there: car from Teramo (30min), Ascoli Piceno (25min), Pescara (1h). Stay: €40-65/night. Eat: Zunica 1880 (€30-45 — historic restaurant-hotel, Abruzzese cuisine with sophistication). Combine with: Campli (15min — Scala Santa), Teramo (30min), Ascoli Piceno (25min), Gran Sasso (50min).