The origins of Ortona are uncertain. Presumably, it was first inhabited by the
Frentani, an
Italic population. In 2005, during works near the Castle, a
Bronze Age settlement was discovered, and the Roman town largely coincided with this first settlement. Some sections of paved roads and urban walls, as well as some archaeological findings are the only remains of this period. Ortona remained a part of the
Eastern Roman Empire (later
Byzantine Empire) for several centuries, before it was annexed by the Kingdom of the
Lombards. In 803, the
Franks incorporated Ortona into the county of
Chieti. From that date on, the town remained tied to Chieti and its territory. In 1258, the relics of the
Apostle Thomas were brought to Ortona by the sailor Leone Acciaiuoli. In 1302 the
Croatian lord
George Šubić raided Ortona and extracted tribute from its denizens. In the first half of the 15th century, its walls were built, and during this period Ortona fought with the nearby town of
Lanciano in a fierce war that ended in 1427. On June 30, 1447, ships from
Venice destroyed the port of Ortona; consequently the
King of Sicily at that time commissioned the construction of a Castle to dominate the renovated port. In 1582, the town was acquired by
Margaret of Parma, daughter of Emperor
Charles V and Duchess of
Parma. In 1584 Margaret decided to build a great mansion (known as Palazzo Farnese), which was never completed due to her death. After the establishment of the
Kingdom of Italy in 1860, Ortona became one of the first sea resorts on the
Adriatic Sea. On 9 September 1943, the royal family of the
House of Savoy left
German-occupied Italy from the port of Ortona. The defensive
Gustav Line was established by the Germans at Ortona (extending towards
Cassino on the opposite side of Italy). Ortona offered the Allies a supply port on the Adriatic and was fiercely defended by the Germans. The struggle between the German paratroopers and the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade attracted the attention of the international press, leading the
Battle of Ortona to be known as "Little Stalingrad." == Transport ==