Arquata del Tronto

Arquata is the only municipality in Europe that lies inside two national parks, the Sibillini to the north and the Gran Sasso-Laga to the south, and it borders three regions. This is the slope Guido Piovene called that of the «most legendary mountains in Italy»: from here ran the paths to the Sibyl's cave and to lake Pilato, where legend has it the cart carrying the procurator's body sank.

The castle above the village watched over the Salaria; Joanna II of Naples lived there from 1420, and in 1849 Garibaldi passed through it, retreating after the Roman Republic. The earthquake of 24 August 2016 struck very hard: the hamlet of Pescara del Tronto was almost wiped out, and the shock of 30 October brought down much of the old centre.