Città Ducale

Città Ducale stands on a hill above the Velino valley, near the old frontier of the Kingdom of Naples. Charles II of Anjou founded the town in 1308 and named it for his son Robert, Duke of Calabria. Its walls and planned streets formed a royal settlement commanding a route through the mountains. Its position placed it near the lands of the Papal States as well as the towns of Abruzzo.

Earthquakes repeatedly damaged the town. After a severe shock in 1703, its cathedral required extensive rebuilding. During French rule Città Ducale became the seat of a subprefecture in 1808 and a district capital in 1810. Bourbon government returned in 1815, but the town retained its role as a centre for the mountain communities around the Velino.