From the time of the
Kingdom of Naples, this region was considered a single entity with the regional capital at
L'Aquila. The name
Abruzzo appears to be derivative of the Latin word , in turn from the tribe
Praetutii. During the Kingdom of Naples, the region was further divided into four provinces: Abruzzo Citra (nearer Abruzzo), Abruzzo Ultra I (farther Abruzzo I), Abruzzo Ultra II (farther Abruzzo II), and
Contado di Molise. The Abruzzo provinces were named for their distance from Naples, the capital, and referred to collectively by the plural
Abruzzi. In 1852, the
Papal States annexed
Ancarano, then further changes occurred during the formation of the
Kingdom of Italy including the annexation of
Venafro and adjustments of the border with
Campania. In 1927 an additional adjustment was made when the , comprising
Cittaducale and a number of other municipalities, was assigned to
Rieti. == Transformation into separate regions ==