Coast of Abruzzo

The coast of Abruzzo stretches along the Adriatic beneath the mountains of the Apennines. Ancient towns line its shores, among them Ortona and Vasto, once inhabited by the Frentani. Vasto's ancient predecessor, Histonium, had no natural harbor of its own and may have relied on the anchorage at Punta Penna. Farther north, Ortona's port was destroyed by Venetian ships in 1447; a castle was subsequently built to overlook the restored harbor.