Atri

A town of truly ancient origins, Atri stands on a hill 442 metres above sea level in the Terre del Cerrano district. And it is one of the most important historical centres in Abruzzo. Already in Etruscan times, the town was considered an important commercial centre. During the Roman period, however, Atri was known as ‘Hatria’ and according to some sources, the Emperor Hadrian was apparently born in this town. Not far from the centre is the WWF Naturalistic Oasis of the Calanchi: an area of about 600 hectares that presents one of the most fascinating forms of the Adriatic hilly landscape – the calanchi – to which ditches and streams are added, ponds, wooded vegetation and cultivated fields.