Abruzzo
The motto of the Province of Abruzzo is “Forte e Gentile.” Traditionally Apennine Mountain shepherds, Adriatic fishermen and farmers, the people of Abruzzo are known for being both strong and kind.

Vasto is located in the province of Abruzzo. The province stretches from Marche in the north to Molise in the south. To the west, Abruzzo has a natural border to the province of Lazio, which is a shield created by the formidable peaks of the Apennine Mountains. The Adriatic Sea forms its eastern border. Outside influences came late, and for centuries Abruzzo was one of Italy’s most isolated regions, until the 1970's, when an autostrada was built by incorporating a series of tunnels and viaducts through the mountains. 

The motto of Abruzzo, “Forte e Gentile” Strong and Kind, could be an expression used, not only to describe its people, the hearty Abruzzese mountain dwellers that supported themselves by raising sheep, but also its fishermen and farmers, and the snowcapped peaks and sea that shaped them.

The identity of Abruzzo, which traditionally brings to mind its mountainous alpine landscapes and long, sandy beaches, is also one of fertile fields and an expansive agriculture, where olive groves and vineyards stretch from the sea to the foothills of the Apennines. Abruzzo is one of Italy’s major producers of wine and oil, and through its earlier isolation has kept much of its traditional life intact.