Amatrice
title: "Amatrice" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-and-towns-in-lazio", "municipalities-of-the-province-of-rieti", "populated-places-destroyed-by-earthquakes", "borghi-più-belli-d'italia", "amatrice"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amatrice" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox Italian comune"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Amatrice |
| official_name | Comune di Amatrice |
| image_skyline | Amatrice - Corso.jpg |
| image_caption | View of Corso Umberto I in Amatrice before the 2016 earthquake |
| image_shield | Amatrice-Stemma.svg |
| image_map | Map of comune of Amatrice (province of Rieti, region Lazio, Italy).svg |
| coordinates | |
| region | Lazio |
| province | Rieti (RI) |
| frazioni | see list |
| mayor | Antonio Fontanella |
| elevation_m | 955 |
| area_total_km2 | 174 |
| population_demonym | Amatriciani |
| saint | Filetta's Madonna |
| day | Ascension Day |
| website | |
| postal_code | 02012 |
| area_code | 0746 |
| :: |
| name = Amatrice | native_name = | official_name = Comune di Amatrice | image_skyline = Amatrice - Corso.jpg | image_caption = View of Corso Umberto I in Amatrice before the 2016 earthquake | image_shield = Amatrice-Stemma.svg | image_map = Map of comune of Amatrice (province of Rieti, region Lazio, Italy).svg | coordinates = | pushpin_label_position = | region = Lazio | province = Rieti (RI) | frazioni = see list | mayor = Antonio Fontanella | mayor_party = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 955 | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 174 | population_footnotes = | population_as_of = | population_total = | pop_density_footnotes = | population_demonym = Amatriciani | telephone = | postalcode = | istat = | saint = Filetta's Madonna | day = Ascension Day | website = | footnotes = | image_size = | image_alt = | shield_alt = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_map_alt = | coordinates_footnotes = | twin1 = | twin1_country = | postal_code = 02012 | area_code = 0746
Amatrice (; Sabino: L'Amatrici) is a town and comune (municipality) in the province of Rieti, in the Italian region of Lazio, and the center of the food-agricultural area of Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. The town was devastated by a powerful earthquake on 24 August 2016. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ('The most beautiful villages of Italy').
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.
The medieval and early modern periods
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Sant'Agostino_church_in_Amatrice,Italy_in_May_2011(14815570486).jpg" caption="Church of Sant'Agostino]] in May 2011"] ::
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.
The modern period
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.
Historical buildings
::data[format=table title="Historical buildings and their condition after the 2016 earthquake"]
| Building | Completed | Status | Additional elements / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civic tower | 13th century | ||
| Church of Sant'Agostino | 1428 | Includes a Gothic portal and some frescoes, including the Annunciation and Madonna with Child and Angels. | |
| Church of Sant'Emidio | 15th century | ||
| Church of San Francesco | late 14th century | Includes a marble Gothic portal and 15th century frescoes in the apse. | |
| Church of Santa Maria Porta Ferrata | |||
| Gothic church | Located in the frazione of San Martino | ||
| Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie | 15th century | Located on the alleged site of Marcus Terentius Varro's villa | |
| Sanctuary of Icona Passatora | late 15th century | Located in the frazione of Ferrazza | |
| Oratory of Santa Maria di Loreto | late 16th century | title=Italian officials probing if high earthquake death toll result of building code infractions | |
| :: |
‡ Withstood the 2016 earthquake
† Did not withstand the earthquake
Cuisine
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Bucatini_allamatriciana.jpg" caption="''[[Bucatini]] all'amatriciana''{{cite web"] ::
|url=https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/recipe/pasta/bucatini-allamatriciana |title=Best Bucatini all'Amatriciana |publisher=La Cucina Italiana |access-date=18 June 2024}}]] Amatrice is especially famous for a pasta sauce, sugo all'amatriciana, usually served with a long pasta such as spaghetti, bucatini, or rigatoni. According to popular tradition, numerous cooks of the popes down the centuries came from Amatrice.
People
- Nicola Filotesio (1480 or 1489–1547 or 1559), Italian painter, architect and sculptor of the Renaissance period
- Giovanni Domenico Roberto Minozzi (1884-1959), Italian Roman Catholic priest who founded Opera nazionale per il Mezzogiorno d'Italia
- Elio Augusto Di Carlo (1918–1998), Italian ornithologist, historian and physician
- Sara Pichelli (born 1983), artist
''Frazioni''
Frazioni (hamlets) of the town include Aleggia, Bagnolo, Capricchia, Casale, Casale Bucci, Casale Celli, Casale Masacci, Casale Nadalucci, Casalene, Casale Nibbi, Casale Sanguigni, Casale Sautelli, Casale Zocchi, Casali della Meta, Cascello, Castel Trione, Collalto, Collecreta, Collegentilesco, Collemagrone, Collemoresco, Collepagliuca, Colletroio, Colli, Conche, Configno, Cornelle, Cornillo Nuovo, Cornillo Vecchio, Cossara, Cossito, Crognale, Domo, Faizzone, Ferrazza, Filetto, Fiumatello, Francucciano, Le Forme, Moletano, Musicchio, Nommisci, Osteria della Meta, Pasciano, Patàrico, Petrana, Pinaco Arafranca, Poggio Vitellino, Prato, Preta, Rio, Retrosi, Roccapassa, Rocchetta, Saletta, San Benedetto, San Capone, San Giorgio, San Lorenzo a Pinaco, San Sebastiano, Santa Giusta, Sant'Angelo, San Tommaso, Scai, Sommati, Torrita, Torritella, Varoni, Villa San Cipriano, Villa San Lorenzo e Flaviano, and Voceto.
References
References
- "Lazio".
- (24 August 2016). "'This used to be my home': Italians in shock after devastating earthquake".
- (23 August 2016). "Italy earthquake leaves 159 dead; towns ruined".
- "Composition of the Regional Council of Lazio".
- "Italy earthquake: Death toll rises to at least 159".
- (24 August 2016). "Italian town of Amatrice badly hit by quake, people under rubble – mayor". [[Thomson Reuters]].
- (24 August 2016). "Amatrice, il crollo della chiesa di Sant'Agostino". askanews.
- "Italian officials probing if high earthquake death toll result of building code infractions".
- Brigit Binns. (2004). "Sauce". Simon and Schuster.
- "Gli Spaghetti all'amatriciana". Comune di Amatrice.
- Pulsoni, Gianfranco. "Comune di Amatrice(RI), 49 frazioni, 2.630 abitanti (ISTAT 2013)".
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