Riattivati

The railway stop of Antrodoco Centro is since 1956 one of the stations of the line Terni-L'Aquila-Sulmona. Before that, the station that served the town was the one today called ‘Antrodoco-Borgo Velino’, halfway between the two localities. In the municipal area there are also the stations of Rocca di Fondi and Rocca di Corno, serving the homonymous mountain districts placed between Antrodoco and L’Aquila.

The toponym "Antrodoco" derives from the Latin Interocriumthat is ‘among the mountains’. In fact, the town rises in the Velino Valley, surrounded by the Mounts Elefante (North-West), Nuria (South) and Giano (North-East). The latter is unmistakable for the immense writing DVX composed of three lines of pines that looms since 1939, being visible even from Rome. It was born as a tribute to Mussolini and is preserved for historical reasons.

The ancient origin of the town is also demonstrated by archaeological finds: during the works for the construction of the railway, in fact, Capuchin tombs, epigraphs, and especially some underground environments of thermal baths were discovered.

Outside the village, a few metres from the Via Salaria in the direction of Borgo Velino, there are the church and the medieval baptistery of St. Maria extra moeniawith paintings ranging from the early Middle Ages to the early fifteenth century.

The Rocchetta (so is called the medieval fortification overlooking the town) is now reduced to ruins following the many earthquakes that over the centuries have affected the area.

The territory of Antrodoco, which like the whole Alta Valle del Velino, was part of the Neapolitan Kingdom, on 9 March 1821 was the scene of the first, disappointing battle of the Italian Risorgimento. Here the Neapolitan constitutionals were overwhelmed by the Austrian army led by General Frimont: the latter, following the victory, was honored by Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies with the title of “Prince of Antrodoco”.

In 1927 the town, together with the entire Alta Valle del Velino, became part of the newly formed province of Rieti, thus passing from Abruzzi to Lazio.

The pride of Antrodoco, which has received the title of “City” in 2006, is the civic museum: located inside the ancient Convent of St. Chiara, it collects the works of the Albanian painter – naturalized Italian – Lin Delija (1926-1994) and of the local artist Carlo Cesi (17th century).