Some history

Vasto can be found on the southern coast of Abruzzo. It is considered one of the oldest towns in the Frentano area as a legend decrees it was built by Diomedes, who arrived here at the head of the Illyrians, and named the settlement “Histon.”

Originally it was inhabited by tribes from Dalmatia, then by the Etruscans, who were succeeded by the Siracusa tribe, the Samnites and the Romans. In about the fifth century BC, Histon was occupied by the Frentano tribe who added the original port at Punta Penna.

Many Oscan inscriptions and amphorae recently recovered in the gulf of Vasto testify to the existence of maritime trade and the town’s importance in the territory.

After the Social War (91-88 BC), Histon became Histonium and was elevated to the rank of a Roman municipium. During the Imperial period the town was not spared from barbarian invasions, followed by a dark period in which even the name was lost.

A Frankish conqueror, Aymone, built a fortified village on the ruins of ancient Histonium and called it Guast d’Aymone.

After the Angevin period, which left extensive traces in the local dialect, Vasto was assigned to the d’Avalos, a family of Spanish origin, who brought the pomp of the Spanish court and built the magnificent Palazzo d’Avalos. For its beauty Vasto was known as the Athens of the Abruzzi.

Palazzo d‘Avalos, built by the Turks in the 1500s, was quickly rebuilt in a Renaissance style and was also the home of Vittoria Colonna, a friend of Michelangelo.

The high town retains many relics of its past, like the remains of Augustan villas and traces of the medieval settlement.

In Roman times the capitol stood near what later became the church of San Pietro.

Stunning Palazzo della Penna dates back to the 1600s and stands in the square of the same name. This site has brought to light the famous bronze tablet with Oscan inscriptions of the names of two Frentano censors, as well as remains of walls, temples, columns, funerary urns and coins.

Famous people born in the Vasto include Lucius Valerius Pudens and Gabriele Rossetti.

The town’s patron saint is Michael the Archangel, invoked by the people of Vasto in the bleak mid-1600s, when earthquakes and plagues decimated entire populations.