Between the Adriatic shore and Civitella
Francavilla al Mare brings together two landscapes. The seaside town follows a broad sandy coast that continues almost seamlessly into Pescara. Civitella is Francavilla's historic centre, in the upper part of town about forty metres above sea level, overlooking the Adriatic.
The name preserves the memory of a franca settlement whose inhabitants were freed from feudal obligations. Farmers and fishermen shared a compact medieval centre, arranged in a herringbone pattern in Civitella. The Second World War destroyed much of that fabric and its towers, but the relationship between hill and sea is still immediately legible.
From the late nineteenth century Francesco Paolo Michetti transformed Francavilla into a cultural reference point. His convent brought together Gabriele d'Annunzio, Francesco Paolo Tosti, Edoardo Scarfoglio and Matilde Serao; the MuMi and Michetti Prize continue that artistic conversation.
The coast works for families and younger visitors and is also a particularly pleasant place for running and cycling. Pescara is very close, while Francavilla keeps a distinct scale and a history that appears as soon as you leave the beach and climb towards Civitella.
