Amatrice

Amatrice
Comune
Comune di Amatrice
View of Umberto I in Amatrice before the 2016 earthquake
Coat of arms
Amatrice Location of Amatrice in Italy
Coordinates: 42°37′37″N 13°17′41″E / 42.62694°N 13.29472°E / 42.62694; 13.29472Coordinates: 42°37′37″N 13°17′41″E / 42.62694°N 13.29472°E / 42.62694; 13.29472
Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Province / Metropolitan city	Rieti (RI)
Frazioni	see list
Government
• Mayor	Sergio Pirozzi
Area
• Total	174 km2 (67 sq mi)
Elevation	955 m (3,133 ft)
Demonym(s)	Amatriciani
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	02012
Dialing code	0746
Patron saint	Filetta's Madonna
Saint day	Ascension Day
Website	Official website

Amatrice is a town and comune in the province of Rieti, in northern Lazio (central Italy), and the center of the food-agricultural area of Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. The town was devastated by a powerful earthquake on 24 August 2016.

Archaeological discoveries show a human presence in the area of Amatrice since prehistoric times, and the remains of Roman buildings and tombs have also been found. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area became part of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto, included in the comitatus of Ascoli. The town of Matrice is mentioned in the papers of the Abbey of Farfa in 1012 as commanding the confluence of the Tronto and Castellano rivers. In the year 900 the Pope was from Amatrice.

In 1265, during the reign of Manfred of Sicily, Amatrice became part of the Kingdom of Naples. After the capture of Naples by the Angevins, Amatrice rebelled but was vanquished by Charles I of Anjou in 1274, although it maintained some sort of autonomy as an universitas.

In the 14th and 15th century, Amatrice was frequently in conflict with the neighbouring cities of Norcia, Arquata and L'Aquila, and its troops took part in the siege of l’Aquila under Braccio da Montone. In the course of the conflict between Angevins and the Aragonese for the possession of the Kingdom of Naples, Amatrice sided with Naples.