Chieti, an ancient city in Abruzzo, has origins that date back to the time of the Marrucini, an Italian people. Known as Teate in Roman times, the city became an important administrative and military center. During the Middle Ages, it underwent various dominations and was the seat of a powerful bishopric. During the Renaissance, the city flourished thanks to trade and craftsmanship. Today, Chieti preserves numerous historical monuments that testify to its rich historical heritage. In this travel guide, we will discover what to do in Chieti.
The city of Chieti
Chieti is located in Abruzzo region. The city is divided into two parts. Chieti Alta corresponds to the historic center and is located on a dominant hill. At the foot of the hill is Chieti Scalo, the modern district. People claim Chieti to be among the oldest cities in Italy. The upper part of Chieti preserves most of the monuments that form a precious cultural heritage in its alleys and squares.
The history of Chieti
The origins of Chieti are enigmatic and shrouded in various legends. One of these legends states that Achilles founded Chieti in 1181 BC, naming it Teate in honor of his mother Thetis. A plaque in the town hall recounts this mythological origin of the city.
The ancient Greek geographer Strabo named the city Teatéa. The Romans used the name Teate Marrucinorum to refer to this settlement, which belonged to the Italic people of the Marrucini, who were initially the Romans’ enemies but later became their allies.
The Marrucini
People have inhabited the territory of Chieti since prehistoric times. The earliest archaeological finds testify to human traces starting from the 3rd millennium BC. The Marrucini, a minor tribe of the Samnites, probably founded the settlement of Chieti. The Marrucini were an Italian people of Oscan-Umbrian language who, in the 1st millennium B.C., occupied a coastal area corresponding to present-day Abruzzo.
In the 4th century BC, on the hill corresponding to the historic center of Chieti, an acropolis with three temples appeared. During the same century, the Marrucini became part of a confederation of Italian peoples to fight against the Romans in the context of the Second Samnite War. Following their defeat, the Marrucini dispatched diplomats to Rome, requesting the formation of an alliance, a request that Rome granted. Thus began the Romanization of the territory.
Roman era
The Romans played a significant role in the development of Teate, particularly from the 2nd century BC and during the imperial period, when it became a “municipium”. Chieti was known as Teate Marrucinorum during that period. It was during this period that various important buildings, such as the theater, amphitheater, forum, baths, aqueduct, and temples, appeared.
The Middle Ages
The city, after the fall of the Roman Empire, suffered barbarian invasions until the Lombards definitively occupied it in the 6th century. Chieti experienced a period of prosperity but was destroyed by Pepin, king of Italy, in 801. Once rebuilt, the Angevins and the Aragonese took control of Chieti. This was a period of immense prestige. Chieti became the capital of Abruzzo Citeriore.
Alfonso of Aragon named Chieti the “royal city” of Abruzzo. Franciscan, Augustinian, and Dominican friars settled the city during the 13th century, building numerous churches and monasteries. The mighty defensive walls and new castles in the surroundings date back to the medieval era.
The modern age
In the summer of 1566, the Ottomans attacked the coasts and countryside of Abruzzo. According to a legend, the invaders abandoned their siege of Chieti and instead demanded the payment of 700 women, representing all the young men and girls in the city. The abbess Teodorica from the convent of the Poor Clares led an army of volunteers to prevent this tragedy. At the moment of the clash, a miraculous fog helped the Theatines win. They captured the Islamic commander and beheaded him. They displayed his head as a trophy on Porta Pescara.
From then until the 1800s, Chieti experienced a period of political and economic stability thanks to the rule of the lordship. Among the aristocratic families, the Valignani, an ancient family originally from Naples, stood out.
Chieti, an open city
At the end of World War II, on March 24, 1944, Chieti was one of the so-called “open cities.” Archbishop Giuseppe Venturi’s requests played a part in achieving this status, but the city’s loss of importance in the context of war strategies was the main factor. Indeed, as recent studies have shown, after the terrible battle of Ortona, the Germans and Anglo-Americans focused on the Cassino front, effectively abandoning the Adriatic front. For the Allies, Chieti ceased to be an indispensable military objective, and they did not sign any agreement to make Chieti an “open city.”
On February 10, 1944, Commander Heinz Fuchs had revoked the previously ordered total evacuation. The Germans had realized that, with the limited resources available, it would be difficult to evacuate a population of 100,000. Fuchs limited himself to ordering the expulsion of the displaced and refugees. The displacement of over 30,000 refugees in the middle of winter, under continuous bombardment, remained inhumane.
Things to do in Chieti
The historic center
Among the things to do in Chieti, the first is definitely to visit the historic center. Chieti Alta corresponds to the historic center. It is divided into seven districts that, starting in the High Middle Ages, were gradually built in correspondence with the ancient Italic-Roman settlement of Teate Marrucinorum. Corso Marrucino is the main street and corresponds to the ancient consular road from the Roman era. It crosses Gian Gabriele Valignani Square, touching the main monuments and historic buildings of the city. During the Middle Ages, the “Largo del Pozzo,” named after a now-buried sacred well, occupied Piazza Valignani.
Other attractions in the historic center of Chieti include the Town Hall in Piazza San Giustino, another symbolic place. The square takes its name from the famous cathedral. Walls encircled the historic center of Chieti, punctuated by nine gates, of which only Porta Pescara still stands today.
Cathedral of San Giustino
Some hypotheses suggest that Bishop Donato built the Cathedral of San Giustino in the 5th century as the first outpost for evangelizing the still pagan population. However, archaeological excavations in the foundations of the cathedral have revealed that the original structure was a basilica, founded in the 6th century at the behest of Bishop Donato. Today, the cathedral presents itself in a neogothic style thanks to the interventions that took place in the early decades of the twentieth century. However, the renovations did not erase the original elements from the medieval era.
The interior features Baroque-style frescoes and houses numerous sacred artworks, especially in the Chapel of Saint Cajetan, the Chapel of Mater Populi Teatini, and that of Saint Justin the Bishop. The main altar is in Baroque style. The Crypt, in Gothic style, preserves frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries and the marble sarcophagus that houses the relics of Saint Justin, patron and first Bishop of the city. From the crypt, one can access the oratory of the ancient Brotherhood of the Sacred Mount of the Dead. The base of the bell tower dates back to the 11th century.
Church of San Francesco al Corso
The Franciscans built the Church of San Francesco with an attached convent in 1239. It is located behind the Cathedral of San Giustino. The facade retains its original appearance in the upper part, dating back to the 14th century, due to an unfinished 18th-century restoration in Baroque style.
The interior, on the other hand, displays a flourishing Baroque style. The 18th-century restoration resulted in an abundance of frescoes and decorations, making the church of San Francesco al Corso the richest in the city. The side chapels are characterized by a precious artistic heritage. The dome that rises in the center of the presbyterial area dominates the entire historic center.
Historic Palaces
Among the things to do in Chieti is a visit to its palaces. Corso Marrucino is characterized by the most elegant historic palaces of Chieti. Fasoli Palace, in Largo Gian Battista Vico, features a Pompeian red facade and Rococo decorations. The Mayo family‘s restoration at the end of the 18th century brought the style of Neapolitan villas to De’ Mayo Palace, which dates back to the 16th century. The Provincial Palace features a refined Mannerist-style façade with a portico and elegant salons, especially in the Prefect’s apartment.
At the end of the nineteenth century, architects built Mezzanotte Palace in an eclectic and neo-Renaissance style. It hosted Marshal Badoglio fleeing toward Brindisi in September 1943. The building is famous for being at the center of the “Chieti città aperta” incident in March 1944. The Chamber of Commerce Palace, despite dating back to the 1930s, reproduces the patterns of medieval municipal palaces. The Archiepiscopal Palace, in Piazza Valignani, includes a tower from the late 15th century that recalls Tuscan architecture. Built in 1830 in an eclectic style incorporating neoclassical and Art Nouveau elements, Villa Frigerj now serves as the seat of the National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo.
Archaeological sites
Important archaeological areas in Chieti bear witness to the era of ancient Teate. At one end of the historic center, we find the well-preserved Roman amphitheater, dating back to the 1st century AD. Not far away are the ruins of the Roman theater, also from the 1st century AD. In the eastern part of the center, there are the remains of the Roman baths from the 2nd century AD. The Roman Temple Square is home to other small archaeological areas, including the ruins of the San Paolo chapels. This is the oldest place of worship in the city.
Finally, among the things to do in Chieti is a visit to the underground city. By “Chieti sotterranea,” we mean a series of cisterns connected by tunnels, built during the time of ancient Teate. The city relied on the underground environments for its water supply. It is also part of the complex, Via Tecta, whose function is still not well understood as it was an underground road over 4 meters high.
The museums of Chieti
Among the things to do in Chieti are visits to museums.
National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo
The National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo, located in the nineteenth-century Villa Frigerj, showcases a significant archaeological collection that reflects the region’s history. The artifacts belong to a chronological range that spans from prehistory to the late Roman Imperial period. Additionally, there is a numismatic collection that includes specimens from the 4th century to the 19th century.
The museum’s collection includes the Pansa Collection, which gathers various everyday objects and precious items of the Italic peoples of Abruzzo, as well as burial goods from the 10th to the 4th century BC, coming from various necropolises. Finally, the museum displays the famous statue of the Warrior of Capestrano. It is a sculpture in local limestone from the 6th century BC that represents one of the most significant examples of Italian art.
La Civitella Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum “The city” of Chieti dedicates La Civitella to its long history. It is located next to the Roman amphitheater and houses all the artifacts unearthed during the excavation campaigns in the Roman areas of ancient Teate. Therefore, it houses archaeological finds from various locations such as the amphitheater, theater, baths, aqueduct, necropolis, and the complex of the Tempietti. The museum dedicates a section to the archaeological finds associated with the Marrucini civilization.
Other museums
Palazzo Martinetti Bianchi, a former 17th-century Jesuit convent, houses the Costantino Barbella Art Museum. The museum honors the sculptor Costantino Barbella from Chieti. Besides his sculptures, the collection includes works of art from the 14th century to the present, along with ancient Castellan majolicas.
The University Museum of the History of Biomedical Sciences is located in Piazza Trento e Trieste, in the historic center. The museum showcases evidence of Abruzzo’s human settlement history, houses a biological archive of mummies, dedicates a section to disease history, explores human evolutionary history, and houses various scientific collections.
Municipal Villa
Among the things to do in Chieti, don’t forget to take a break at Villa Comunale. It is the green area of the historic center and represents an urban park in the 19th-century style, born from the union of the gardens of the noble villas Frigerj and Nolli. Terraced areas lay out the park. The upper areas feature an Italian garden and a grove; then we have another Italian garden and a monumental fountain. Finally, in the lower levels, you can take walks through nature, small lakes, stone bridges, and a small peninsula on the water.
Things to do in Chieti Gallery
Chieti video
Chieti weather
Meteo Chieti
Things to do in Chieti Map
Tourist information offices in Chieti
- Infopoint via Cesare de Lollis at the entrance to the Barbella Museum.
- I.A.T. Tourist Information and Reception Office, via Spaventa 29/31Tel. +39 087163640
