Castel di Sangro

Castel di Sangro
—  Comune  —
Comune di Castel di Sangro
Castel di Sangro Location of Castel di Sangro in Italy
Coordinates: 41°46′29″N 14°6′16″E
Country	Italy
Region	Abruzzo
Province	L'Aquila (AQ)
Frazioni	Roccacinquemiglia, Località Pontone, Località Sant'Angelo
Government
• Mayor	Umberto Murolo
Area
• Total	83.98 km2 (32.42 sq mi)
Elevation	805 m (2,641 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	6,109
• Density	73/km2 (190/sq mi)
Demonym	Castellani
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	67031
Dialing code	0864
Patron saint	San Rufo
Saint day	27 August
Website	Official website

Castel di Sangro is a city and comune of 6,109 people (as of 2008) in the Province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo, southern Italy. It is the central city of the Alto Sangro e Altopiano delle Cinque Miglia.

Geography

It is located on the Sangro River, in a valley in the Apennine Mountains.

Neighbouring communes include Roccaraso, Pescocostanzo, Rivisondoli, and Montenero Val Cocchiara.

History

Castel di Sangro was known to the Romans as Aufidena (a city of the Samnites). It is the ancestral home of the third and last line of the House of Caesar (Catulus Caesar).

Main sights

• Basilica di S. Maria Assunta
• Castel di Sangro Town Museum

Sport

The town gained some popularity in the mid-1990s thanks to the exploits of local football club Castel di Sangro Calcio In 1996, Castel di Sangro was visited by American author Joe McGinniss who wrote the book, 'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro' which was the story about the Calcio team who made it up through 5 leagues to get to 'Serie B'. This is the 2nd highest league in Italian Calcio.

Districts

Castel di Sangro is divided into six districts:

• Civita
• Stazione
• Colle
• Codacchiola
• Ara
• Piazza

Transportation

Castel di Sangro has for years been a point of passage for many people, because of its position as a door to Abruzzo.

Roads

The main roads are:

• The Sangro Valley road, a highway connecting Castel di Sangro with the Val di Sangro, and then with the Adriatic Sea. The same road continues for a long stretch southward and is used by thousands of tourists who come from areas of Campania and other regions of southern Italy.
• The SS 17, a fast road connecting L'Aquila to Foggia. This road is very busy, with both local and through traffic. Its true capacity is often exceeded and it has seen a large number of accidents, some fatal. It is, however, generally well-managed, remaining open throughout the winter, despite the high altitude of the route.
• The Isernia - Castel di Sango highway. Only part completed, this will halve the time taken to travel from the Alto Molise to the Alto Sangro.

External links

• Official website (Italian) (English)
• Castel di Sangro 1 Scout Group official website
• The news and tourist site, EcoDelSangro.it