On February 22, 1956, Vasto was shaken by a catastrophic event that left a lasting mark on its history. A massive landslide sent Via Adriatica and the first row of houses overlooking it tumbling into the sea, sweeping away a significant portion of the historic city and forcing the evacuation of more than 100 families. …
In 1816, the town of Vasto experienced a landslide, one of several that would occur over the years, culminating in the major landslide of 1956, which destroyed part of the ancient Roman city and the historic Church of San Pietro. The 1816 event also struck the town’s eastern slope, affecting the stretch from the Porta…
The Church of San Pietro in Vasto, although no longer existing today, having been demolished after a landslide in 1956, represents a fundamental chapter in the religious and cultural history of the city. Its story, full of events and changes, is closely intertwined with the events of Vasto and its noble families. Its origins are…
At the top of the Tre Segni hill, at the end of what is now the century-old Villa Comunale, stands a small church overlooking the sea. This is the Church of San Michele Arcangelo, modest in size and located far from the historic town center, under the religious jurisdiction of Santa Maria Maggiore. Yet, despite…
One of the most beautiful places in Vasto is its Municipal Garden, known as Villa Comunale. For over a century, this space has been a beloved retreat where nature, history, and culture blend seamlessly, serving as the go-to spot for relaxation and leisure for locals of all ages. The Municipal Garden was originally designed as…
The Roman baths of Vasto were built on the edge of the town of ancient Histonium in the second century AD, and were one of the main attractions of the Roman city for about three centuries. Damaged by the Sannio earthquake in 346 AD, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, they were progressively…
The current Via Adriatica presents itself as a spectacular balcony overlooking the sea. Beyond it, a steep slope that stops about fifty meters below, where today there is a sports centre, the “Mura delle Lame” park. The name of the site recalls that once, in place of the Via Adriatica, there were the city walls…
The “Loggia Amblingh” is the most beautiful panoramic walk in Vasto, between Piazza Marconi and the perimeter wall of the gardens of Palazzo d’Avalos. The route was created at the beginning of the twentieth century when the collapse of Gabriele Rossetti’s birthplace, built on the old walls, had made the city government aware of the…
Built around 1427 by Giacomo Caldora, the lord of Vasto, on land previously owned by the Augustinian convent, Palazzo d’Avalos became the property of the Marquises d’Avalos in 1496. While the d’Avalos family preserved the late Gothic structure of the palace—details of which are still visible today thanks to recent restorations—they expanded and enhanced the…