# L'Aquila: capital of culture, and a live building site

> L'Aquila is Italian capital of culture for 2026. Official data counts 2,594 approvals for 6,949 units in the old town, which is still a rebuild.

URL: https://myitalia.it/towns/l-aquila
Last updated: 2026-09-02

L'Aquila holds the title of Italian capital of culture for 2026, and it is also a city whose reconstruction after 2009 is still being processed file by file, which changes what you can expect to find open.

## The title, and what it comes with

L'Aquila was proclaimed Italian capital of culture 2026 on March 14, 2024 at the culture ministry in Rome, with the dossier L'Aquila. Città Multiverso and a state grant of €1 million. Prices in euros.

The dossier runs on four themes: social cohesion, wellbeing, innovation and environmental sustainability. Ten cities made the final shortlist, among them Agnone, Alba, Gaeta, Latina, Lucera, Maratea, Rimini and Treviso. See [events in L'Aquila](/towns/l-aquila/events).

## The rebuild, in the agency's own numbers

The USRA data portal, updated to August 31, 2026, records 2,594 approvals issued for the historic center, covering 6,949 property units, for €3.14 billion assessed of which €1.87 billion, 59.5%, is immediately fundable. In the outlying villages the count is 3,445 approvals on 14,002 units, €2.7 billion assessed and €1.46 billion, 54.3%, fundable.

Average processed cost per square meter is €1,456 for ordinary buildings and €2,814 for listed ones. What that means on the ground: scaffolding is part of the streetscape, some streets are closed at short notice, and any monument you are traveling for deserves a check the week before. Read [L'Aquila is still being rebuilt](/stories/laquila-is-still-being-rebuilt).

## Collemaggio: repaired, and rewarded for it

The basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio was badly damaged by the earthquake of April 6, 2009, and the restoration was designed and directed by the heritage superintendency for L'Aquila with Sapienza, the Politecnico di Milano and the University of L'Aquila, sponsored by Eni under a 2013 protocol. The work took two years and won the European Heritage Award from Europa Nostra in the conservation category, the only Italian winner in that edition.

The church is where Pietro Angeleri da Morrone was crowned pope on August 29, 1294 as Celestine V, and his remains are inside. The Holy Door on the left flank was given that name in the 15th century, and the lunette fresco above it is by Antonio da Atri, dated 1397. More at [Collemaggio](/attractions/basilica-di-collemaggio) and [the Forte Spagnolo museum](/attractions/munda-forte-spagnolo).

## 722 meters, and pack accordingly

The town hall stands at 722 meters, making L'Aquila the third highest provincial capital in Italy after Enna at 928 m and Potenza at 827 m, with Campobasso next at 708 m. The municipal territory itself climbs from 571 m to 2,622 m, an altitude range of 2,051 meters.

That is the practical thing to take away. Evenings are cold here in months when Rome is warm, and the Gran Sasso peaks inside the same municipality carry snow long into spring. See [things to do in L'Aquila](/towns/l-aquila/things-to-do).

## No fast train: the Rome coach is the link

There is no high speed rail to L'Aquila, and the quickest connection with Rome is the TUA coach from the Collemaggio terminal to Tibus at Roma Tiburtina, bay 8, in 1h25. Weekdays run about ten services each way and public holidays 4, with the first out of L'Aquila at 4:45 am and the last back from Rome at 9:45 pm.

A single costs €13 in 2026, a return €20, a ten trip carnet €90 and a monthly pass €160, with promotional fares between €8 and €10 on some departures. The fare page was last updated on January 21, 2026. See [getting to L'Aquila](/towns/l-aquila/getting-there) and [Abruzzo](/regions/abruzzo).

## FAQ

### Why is L'Aquila Italian capital of culture in 2026?

It won the competition on March 14, 2024 at the culture ministry in Rome, with a dossier titled L'Aquila. Città Multiverso built on social cohesion, wellbeing, innovation and environmental sustainability. The title carries a state grant of €1 million. Ten cities reached the final.

### Is the center of L'Aquila still a building site?

Partly, and the figures say how much. At August 31, 2026 the reconstruction agency counted 2,594 approvals covering 6,949 property units in the historic center, worth €3.14 billion assessed, of which €1.87 billion, 59.5%, was immediately fundable.

### Can you visit the basilica of Collemaggio?

Yes. It was badly damaged on April 6, 2009 and the restoration, run by the heritage office with Eni sponsorship agreed in 2013, took two years and won the European Heritage Award from Europa Nostra for conservation, the only Italian winner that year.

### How high is L'Aquila?

722 meters at the town hall, which makes it the third highest provincial capital in Italy after Enna at 928 m and Potenza at 827 m. The municipal territory runs from 571 m to 2,622 m, so the weather at your hotel is not the weather up the road.

### How do you get from Rome to L'Aquila?

By coach, not by train. The TUA bus from the Collemaggio terminal to Tibus at Roma Tiburtina takes 1h25, with about ten weekday departures each way and 4 on public holidays. A single is €13 in 2026, a return €20, and a ten trip carnet €90.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'Aquila e' Capitale italiana della cultura 2026: la proclamazione e' avvenuta il 14 marzo 2024 al Ministero della Cultura, con il dossier "L'Aquila. Citta' Multiverso" e un contributo statale di 1 milione di euro. | [Ministero della Cultura - Capitali della cultura](https://capitalidellacultura.cultura.gov.it/laquila-capitale-italiana-della-cultura-2026/); [Ministero della Cultura](https://cultura.gov.it/comunicato/28576) | high | 2099-12-31 |
| Il portale dati USRA riporta, con aggiornamento al 31 agosto 2026, 2.594 pareri emessi per il centro storico dell'Aquila su 6.949 unita' immobiliari, per 3,14 miliardi di euro istruiti di cui 1,87 miliardi (59,5%) immediatamente finanziabili. | [USRA - Ufficio Speciale per la Ricostruzione dell'Aquila](http://www.usra.it/datipratiche/index.php?lang=it&section=ricostruzione-privata) | medium | 2027-03-31 |
| La Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio, gravemente danneggiata dal sisma del 2009, e' stata restaurata dalla Soprintendenza con sponsorizzazione Eni (accordo del 2013) e il restauro ha vinto l'European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra nella categoria Conservazione, unico premiato italiano di quell'edizione. | [Regione Abruzzo - Dipartimento Turismo](https://www.abruzzoturismo.it/it/destinazioni/basilica-di-collemaggio-laquila); [doc 2](https://www.abruzzoturismo.it/it/magazine/laquila-premiato-il-restauro-della-basilica-di-collemaggio) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| Con la casa comunale a 722 metri sul livello del mare, L'Aquila e' il terzo capoluogo di provincia piu' alto d'Italia dopo Enna (928 m) e Potenza (827 m); il territorio comunale va da 571 a 2.622 metri di quota. | [ISTAT](https://www.istat.it/notizia/principali-statistiche-geografiche-sui-comuni/); [doc 2](https://www.istat.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Altimetria_Comuni-al-31_12_2021.xlsx) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| L'Aquila non ha alta velocita': il collegamento piu' rapido con Roma e' l'autobus TUA da terminal Collemaggio al terminal TIBUS di Roma Tiburtina, circa 1 ora e 25 minuti, con una decina di corse per senso nei giorni feriali e 4 nei festivi; biglietto di corsa semplice 13 euro (2026). | [TUA S.p.A.](https://www.tuabruzzo.it/linee-da-e-per-roma/laquila-roma/34-10.html); [doc 2](https://www.tuabruzzo.it/linee-da-e-per-roma/orari-laquila-roma-tua/34-16.html); [doc 3](https://www.tuabruzzo.it/linee-da-e-per-roma/34.html) | medium | 2027-01-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/city.l-aquila.1600.jpg
Author: LIAP. License: CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castello_500.JPG

## Other languages

- it: https://myitalia.it/it/paesi/l-aquila.md
- es: https://myitalia.it/es/pueblos/l-aquila.md
- fr: https://myitalia.it/fr/villages/l-aquila.md
- de: https://myitalia.it/de/orte/l-aquila.md