Historical figures of Isola del Gran Sasso:
those who left a mark
Throughout its long history, Isola del Gran Sasso has been the birthplace of important historical figures: Niccolò dell’Isola, born in 1230, valiant defender of L’Aquila against local feudal lords, earning himself the title of ‘father of the homeland’ and dying a martyr in 1293; Ludovico De Angelis, born in 1839, poet and political critic whose career was marked by mental illness, which led to his death in an asylum in 1900; humanist and scholar Pietro Verrua, who encouraged local culture with his studies of history and art, also founding the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) of Isola; and finally, Luciano Ricci, writer and politician, who promoted Abruzzo culture and served as Mayor of Isola from 1970 to 1974.
