Amatrice

History

Archaeological discoveries show a human presence in the area of Amatrice since prehistoric times, and the remains of Roman buildings and tombs have also been found. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area became part of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto, included in the comitatus of Ascoli. The town of Matrice is mentioned in the papers of the Farfa Abbey in 1012 as commanding the confluence of the Tronto and Castellano rivers. In the year 900 the pope was from Amatrice.

In 1265, during the reign of Manfred of Sicily, Amatrice became part of the Kingdom of Naples. After the capture of Naples by the Angevins, Amatrice rebelled but was vanquished by Charles I of Anjou in 1274, although it maintained some sort of autonomy as an universitas.

In the 14th and 15th century, Amatrice was frequently in conflict with the neighbouring comuni of Norcia, Arquata, and L'Aquila, and its troops took part in the siege of L'Aquila under Braccio da Montone. In the course of the conflict between Angevins and the Aragonese for the possession of the Kingdom of Naples, Amatrice sided with Naples.

The Church of Sant'Agostino (pictured left) was built in 1428.

In 1529, Amatrice was stormed by troops of Philibert of Chalon, a general in the service of Emperor Charles V, who gave it to its general Alessandro Vitelli.

The city was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1639.

Later, Amatrice was held by the Orsini and the Medici of Florence, who kept it until 1737.

After the unification of Italy in the 19th century, Amatrice became part of the province of L'Aquila in the region of Abruzzo, eventually being annexed to Lazio in 1927.

On 24 August 2016, a powerful earthquake struck Amatrice, devastating the town and killing at least 295 people. Sergio Pirozzi, at the time the mayor of Amatrice (in March 2018 he was elected in the Regional Council of Lazio), said that the town "is no more". Later, Pirozzi said that "three-quarters of the town was destroyed". Nearby Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto were also devastated.