The province of Pescara (; Abruzzese: ) is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Pescara, which has a population of 119,483 inhabitants. As of 2017, it has a total population of 319,936 inhabitants over an area of . The provincial president is Antonio Zaffiri and the province contains 46 comuni. History Pescara's first indicators of settlement date to 1500 BCE, but it is unknown which tribe first settled in the city. It was conquered by the Romans in 214 BCE and remained "Aternum" after the city allied itself with Punic Carthaginian military commander Hannibal. The Romans developed the city and it became an important location for shipping and trade occurring between the Balkans and Rome; the Romans made the city of Pescara the capital of the Valeria region. During the barbarian raids it was almost completely destroyed, and it developed into a fishing village named Piscaria. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor turned Piscaria into a military fort named Pescara during the sixteenth century, and Pescara survived a series of invasions from Turkish Muslims. It was ruled by the Austrians for a short period of the 1700s before falling under the control of the House of Bourbon; the House of Bourbon made it a component of Abruzzo Citra. It joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1860 and was still mainly fortified and Pescara was made a new provincial capital in 1927. In World War II, 78% of the city was destroyed by bombers. Geography The province of Pescara is the central of four provinces in the region of Abruzzo on the eastern coast of Italy. It is bounded to the northeast by the Adriatic Sea. The Province of Teramo lies to the north and the Province of L'Aquila to the west and south. To the south and east lies the Province of Chieti. The provincial capital is the city and port of Pescara, situated at the mouth of the Aterno-Pescara River. Comuni Abbateggio Alanno Bolognano Brittoli Bussi sul Tirino Cappelle sul Tavo Caramanico Terme Carpineto della Nora Castiglione a Casauria Catignano Cepagatti Città Sant'Angelo Civitaquana Civitella Casanova Collecorvino Corvara Cugnoli Elice Farindola Lettomanoppello Loreto Aprutino Manoppello Montebello di Bertona Montesilvano Moscufo Nocciano Penne Pescara Pescosansonesco Pianella Picciano Pietranico Popoli Roccamorice Rosciano Salle San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore Sant'Eufemia a Maiella Scafa Serramonacesca Spoltore Tocco da Casauria Torre de' Passeri Turrivalignani Vicoli Villa Celiera