Marche · Ascoli Piceno
Arquata del Tronto
At 777 meters between two national parks, the Marche commune levelled by the 2016 earthquakes and still rebuilding nine years on.
- Best time
- May–Oct
- By car
- 1 h 38 min from Pescara
- Population
- 973
Known for
2016 EARTHQUAKES
Forty-nine deaths in the commune across the 24 August and 30 October 2016 shocks; Pescara del Tronto was levelled in the first.
TWO NATIONAL PARKS
The only European commune with territory inside two national parks: Sibillini to the north and Gran Sasso e Laga to the south.
MONTE VETTORE
At 2,476 meters, the highest Sibillini peak, accessed from the western trails of the commune via Forca di Presta.
When to visit
Best · May–Oct
- J7°
- F10°
- M11°
- A14°
- M19°
- J24°
- J28°
- A28°
- S22°
- O18°
- N12°
- D9°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Arquata del Tronto sits at 777 meters in the upper Tronto valley, the only European commune whose territory falls inside two national parks: Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga to the south, Monti Sibillini to the north. The capoluogo runs up a ridge between the two, with the Rocca of Arquata, originally a thirteenth-century watchtower of the Norcia road, on the highest point. The earthquakes of 24 August and 30 October 2016 killed 49 people in the commune, mostly in the frazione of Pescara del Tronto which was destroyed at 3:36 in the morning when the first 6.
0 shock struck. Many of the other twelve frazioni, including Borgo, Trisungo and Capodacqua, suffered heavy damage. Reconstruction has been slow: temporary housing remains in place for most displaced residents, and several frazioni are still closed to entry. The population, 973 at the 2023 count, is roughly half of what it was in 2015.
The Sunday letter
Arquata del Tronto is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Arquata del Tronto comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Arquata del Tronto in our articles
The best towns inside a national park in Marche6 towns, Arquata del Tronto among them.
The best small towns that eat well in Marche9 towns, Arquata del Tronto among them.
The highest comune in each region of Italy20 towns, Arquata del Tronto among them.
Every ski town in our catalogue, all of them97 towns, Arquata del Tronto among them.
How to get there
From Ancona / Pescara (AOI), about 2 hours by car.
Rome (FCO) is about 3 hours away.
By car from the centre of Pescara 1h 38m, Ancona 2 hours or Perugia 2h 9m.
What to see
Rocca di Arquata
Thirteenth-century watchtower-fortress on the highest point of the capoluogo, controlling the Tronto road toward Norcia.
Pescara del Tronto
Frazione destroyed by the 24 August 2016 earthquake at magnitude 6.0; the site remains closed and is marked by a memorial.
Monte Vettore
At 2,476 meters, the highest peak of the Sibillini, accessed from Arquata's western trails toward the Forca di Presta saddle.
Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini
The commune's northern half lies inside the Sibillini park, with hiking routes from Forca di Presta to Castelluccio di Norcia.
Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga
The southern half sits inside the Gran Sasso e Laga park, with woodland trails across the Laga ridge toward Acquasanta Terme.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Arquata del Tronto fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Osteria del CastelloRistorante
Osteria del Castello carries a Slow Food snail.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Festa del Perdonopatron saint's feast
usually held in August. lemarche.it
Fiera del Villeggiantemarket
usually held in August. lemarche.it
La Festa Bellapatron saint's feast
usually held in August. lemarche.it
Living here
- Population 973
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Ancona / Pescara, 1 h 59 min drive
- Regional capital Ancona, 1 h 53 min drive
Common questions
- What is Arquata del Tronto known for?
- At 777 meters between two national parks, the Marche commune levelled by the 2016 earthquakes and still rebuilding nine years on.
- Where is Arquata del Tronto?
- Arquata del Tronto is a comune in the province of Ascoli Piceno, in Marche.
- What is the nearest airport to Arquata del Tronto?
- Ancona / Pescara (AOI), about 2 hours by car.
- How long is the drive from Pescara to Arquata del Tronto?
- About 1h 38m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Arquata del Tronto?
- Best in May–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 28 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 17 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Arquata del Tronto?
- Yes. Festa del Perdono, Fiera del Villeggiante and La Festa Bella. August is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Arquata del Tronto?
- Sellano, Navelli and Castel San Pietro Romano.
- How many people live in Arquata del Tronto?
- 973 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 777 m
- Population: 973
- Surface area: 92.23 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Similar
Towns like Arquata del Tronto
Sellano
Province: Perugia
both mountain-valley towns · both under 1,000 people
Navelli
Province: L'Aquila
both mountain-valley towns · both under 1,000 people
Castel San Pietro Romano
Province: Roma
both mountain-valley towns · both under 1,000 people
Rocca di Botte
Province: L'Aquila
both mountain-valley towns · both under 1,000 people
Roccamandolfi
Province: Isernia
both mountain-valley towns · both under 1,000 people
Castelmezzano
Province: Potenza
both mountain-valley towns · both under 1,000 people
🌲 Parco Nazionale
More Parco Nazionale towns in Marche
Acquasanta Terme
Province: Ascoli Piceno
A sulphur-spring spa at 392 meters in the upper Tronto valley, where the water still surfaces at 30 degrees.
Amandola
Province: Fermo
A Sibillini gateway at 550 meters on three hills above the Tenna valley, founded 1248 and damaged but not levelled in 2016.
San Ginesio
Province: Macerata
The Balcony of the Sibillini at 680 meters, where a 1295 pilgrim hospital and the only flowery gothic collegiate church in the Marche stand within the same walls.
Valfornace
Province: Macerata
A 909-resident Sibillini commune at 441 meters in the upper Chienti valley, born in 2017 from the merger of Pievebovigliana and Fiordimonte.
Visso
Province: Macerata
The northern Sibillini gate at 607 meters where the Nera meets the Ussita, holding one of two surviving manuscripts of Leopardi's L'Infinito.