Loreto Aprutino
     The picturesque town of Loreto Aprutino is situated on a hill along the Valley of Tavo and spreads out like a scene from a medieval nativity play. Loreto Aprutino's economy is based on the production of olive oil. The name of this town comes from the word "Lauro" for the many laurel varieties found in the surrounding area during the Roman period. Loreto Aprutino was occupied by the Romans who then destroyed it. The town developed around a castle and an abbey, built around the 11th century by the Benedictine monks. The town underwent a period of political development in the 11th century with the institution of the county by the Normans. Its controlling powers grew with the Swabians and Angevins up to the 14th century when the town was governed by a succession of landowners, which lasted until the abolition of the feudal system. Some of the more important landowners were: d’Aquino, d’Afflitto, d’Avalos, Caracciolo, Margherita d’Asburgo, Farnese, Alessandro de’ Medici. In the Risorgimento, instead, Loreto was an important coal mining centre.