Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Alba Alba Fucens

Alba Fucens

Ever loyal to Roma, the small village of Albe in the Abruzzo region carried on until an earthquake did it in.

Alba, Italy

Added By
Francesco Salerno
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Alba Fucens, Thermal Complex   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, Amphitheatre   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, Medieval settlement of Albe   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, sculpted column   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, The basilica   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, Medieval settlement of Albe, Castello Orsini.   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, Medieval settlement of Albe, Castello Orsini.   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, Amphitheatre   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, Medieval settlement of Albe   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens, Medieval settlement of Albe   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens   The F / Atlas Obscura User
  massimiliano20097 / Atlas Obscura User
Alba Fucens   The F / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Albe has an overwhelming amount of history for such a tiny little place.

After the catastrophic earthquake of Marsica in 1915, the area around S. Pietro hill was chosen as a site to accomodate part of the survivors of the tragedy. Some years later, the temporary wooden shacks were converted into anti-seismic buildings and the site became a stable settlement. During WWII the village of Albe was considered a place of strategic relevance for the Nazi forces—field marshall Kesserling placed a battery of anti aircraft guns on the northern terrace of the town and the entire area was occupied.

It was not until 1949 that the village started to unveil its treasures—Pre-Roman structures such as fortifications and walls were already visible, but an archaeological mission led by the Belgian historian Fernand de Visscher brought back to light the amphitheatre, the forum and the commercial district of Alba Fucens, the once glorious and vibrant Roman colony along the Tiburtina Valeria road. 

There is still some debate about the foundation of Alba Fucens. The city rose across the contested territory of Marsi and Equi populations, but recent studies are more inclined to ascribe the origin of the oppidum (the early fortified settlement) to the Equi, a strongly militarized population which occupied many territories of central Italy in the early and pre-roman era. 

The commercial and strategic relevance of the settlement didn't go unnoticed by Roma, which soon tried to seize the place. After many disastrous and bloody battles, the city fell under Roman rule in 303 BC, and under the consulate of Lucius Genucius and Servius Cornelius, Alba Fucens became one of the most prosperous Latin colonies. 

Throughout the centuries the colony always kept a strong bond with Roma, becoming more and more influent. In the early 3rd century BC Alba Fucens sent troops which helped Roma repel a terrific coalition of Etruscans, Umbrians, Samnites and Gauls marching against the capital city, and during the second punic war, 2000 men were sent against the Carthaginian commander Hannibal, who was marching deep into the Italian peninsula, forcing him to retire further southwards in 211 BC.

During the Social Wars of 88-82 BC Alba Fucens showed loyalty to Roma by resisting rebels, and in the Civil Wars of 49-45 BC, the troops of Pompeius allocated in the colony deliberately passed on Caesar's side.

In the Imperial era Alba Fucens flourished greatly and was expanded further. The most important witnesses of that glory are now the ruins of the theatre, the amphiteatre, the forum with the basilica and the thermal complex, still visible and accessible by visitors.

Decadence started to erode the city in 3rd century AD and became an irreversible process in the 6th century. Seismic events, decrease of demographic ratio, collapse of Roman administration and occasional barbaric raids left the settlement unsafe and progressively abandoned. The populace started to rebuild their homes in safer places uphill, and that's where the history of the medieval settlement begins.

The new fortified settlement on the northern S. Nicola hill was consolidated in the 11th century when Saracens raids dangerously increased in central Italy, but under the Lombards rule, the entire area became much safer and the population slowly returned to normal activities. Under King Ludovico II, the place became county of the Marsica until the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, following the events of the Battle of Tagliacozzo between the Anjou and Hohenstaufen dynasties, the place was attacked and destroyed by the french troops led by Charles D'Anjou. With the fall of the Hohenstaufen rule, Albe started to lose importance as political and strategic center of the Marsica, and in the following centuries its territories were constantly contested by the Orsini and Colonna family, swapping ownership from time to time. 

Although isolated, neglected and impoverished, the old village of Albe was still inhabited in the 20th century until that morning on 13 january 1915, when the earthquake obliterated the place, leaving nothing but rubbles and taking many lives.

Related Tags

Earthquakes Roman World War Ii Ruins Military

Know Before You Go

Open for free from sunrise to sunset. If you go to the tourist office in the square 100 meters before the parking lot, you can get a free small pamphlet and a guided tour of 1 hour and 45 minutes, prices may vary

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

The F

Edited By

Rachel, massimiliano20097

  • Rachel
  • massimiliano20097

Published

March 13, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alba_Fucens
  • http://www.albafucens.info/
Alba Fucens
28 Via da Monte
Alba, 67050
Italy
42.081491, 13.408917
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Tunnels of Claudius

Avezzano, Italy

miles away

Fucino Space Centre

Ortucchio, Italy

miles away

Camerata Vecchia

Camerata Nuova, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Italy

Italy

Europe

Places 1,071
Stories 111

Nearby Places

Tunnels of Claudius

Avezzano, Italy

miles away

Fucino Space Centre

Ortucchio, Italy

miles away

Camerata Vecchia

Camerata Nuova, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Italy

Italy

Europe

Places 1,071
Stories 111

Related Places

  • The water tank

    Oxford, England

    Slade Camp

    A lost World War II military camp and post-war suburb swallowed by the woods.

  • Old and new churches side by side.

    Berlin, Germany

    Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

    An imperial church bombed to ruins during WWII now stands as a jagged memorial.

  • Tounj Bridge

    Zdenac, Croatia

    Tounj Bridge

    A unique two-level bridge designed to honor a king.

  • Stony Batter Historic Reserve

    Auckland, New Zealand

    Stony Batter Historic Reserve

    Large World War II gun emplacements and tunnel systems remain hidden near a remote end of Waiheke Island.

  • Ruins of the castle in Rocchetta

    Rocchetta Alta, Italy

    Rocchetta a Volturno

    This medieval settlement was abandoned after a series of landslides. What remained was largely destroyed during a mock battle for a WWII film reel.

  • Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, Poland

    Modlin Fortress Granary

    In northeastern Poland, the ruins of a massive granary overlook the Narew River.

  • “Memorial to the Victims of Fascism in Krakow.”

    Krakow, Poland

    Kraków-Płaszów Concentration Camp

    At first glance, this area seems like just another city park, but the lush landscape hides a dark past.

  • Antuni

    Castel di Tora, Italy

    Ruins of Antuni

    A semi-abandoned village destroyed by U.S. bombings during World War II dominates the valley of Turano.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.