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00 Capistrello
Stemma di Capistrello

Abruzzo · L'Aquila

Capistrello

At 734 meters where the upper Liri valley meets the Marsica, the village where an emperor's tunnel emptied a lake into a river.

Best time
May–Oct
By car
1 h 20 min from Rome
By train
Station in the comune
Population
4,793

Known for

  • CLAUDIUS TUNNELS

    Eastern mouth of the 52 AD imperial drainage tunnel from Lake Fucino, one of the largest hydraulic projects in the Roman world.

  • LIRI HEADWATERS

    Where the Liri river takes on the Fucino outflow before running south into the Roveto valley toward Lazio.

  • MARSICA EDGE

    Border between the Marsica plateau and the Liri valley, with the Simbruini range rising west toward Filettino in Lazio.

When to visit

Best · May–Oct

  • J8°
  • F12°
  • M12°
  • A15°
  • M20°
  • J25°
  • J30°
  • A29°
  • S24°
  • O19°
  • N13°
  • D10°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Antonio di Padova, 13 June

Why come

The first settlements on the site date to the Neolithic, and the modern town grew up around the tunnel mouth rather than the other way around. Capistrello borders Avezzano and Tagliacozzo along with five other communes, sitting at the corner where Abruzzo meets Lazio, with Filettino just across the regional line. The population is around 4,800.

The old village sits above the river on the valley's upper lip, stone houses stepped toward a small piazza, while the tunnel outflow lies below at the level of the water itself. Behind the rooftops the Simbruini slopes rise into chestnut wood, the same high ground that feeds the river its cold, constant flow before it turns south for Lazio. The town reads as a hinge point: plateau above, valley below, and underground, still doing the job it was built for, the channel that connects them.

The Sunday letter

Capistrello 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 Capistrello comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Capistrello in our articles

How to get there

From Rome (FCO), about 2 hours by car.

Naples / Salerno (NAP) is about 2 hours away.

By car from the centre of Pescara 1h 24m or Naples 2h 10m.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming from Rome or Naples?

Coming by train into Roma Termini? Capistrello is about 1h 19m away by road.

Capistrello, photo 1
Capistrello, photo 2

What to see

  • Cunicoli di Claudio

    The tunnel runs six kilometers underground with a drop of about eight meters, an average gradient of 1.5 meters per kilometer, still traceable beneath the town.

  • Borgo storico

    Old village above the river, with stone houses stepped up the slope and a small piazza at the upper edge.

  • Fiume Liri

    Cold river that emerges from the Simbruini springs and runs south through the valley, picking up the Fucino outflow at Capistrello.

  • Monti Simbruini

    Forested range of the central Apennines forming the western horizon, with chestnut woods and trails toward Filettino in Lazio.

The slow-trip planner

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Living here

  • Population 4,793
  • Commuter belti
  • Pharmacy: none mapped
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Rome, 2 h 1 min drive
  • Regional capital L'Aquila, 45 min drive

Common questions

What is Capistrello known for?
At 734 meters where the upper Liri valley meets the Marsica, the village where an emperor's tunnel emptied a lake into a river.
Where is Capistrello?
Capistrello is a comune in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo.
What is the nearest airport to Capistrello?
Rome (FCO), about 2 hours by car.
Can you get to Capistrello without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Pescara to Capistrello?
About 1h 24m by car.
When is the best time to visit Capistrello?
Best in May–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 30 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Capistrello?
The town keeps its patron saint's day: Antonio di Padova, 13 June.
Which other towns are like Capistrello?
Pescina, Tagliacozzo and Spezzano della Sila.
How many people live in Capistrello?
4,793 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 734 m
  • Population: 4,793
  • Surface area: 60.97 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.

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