L’Aquila has a new app. It’s called “Quarti di Rinascita” and is a digital tool designed for residents and visitors who want to discover—or rediscover—L’Aquila’s historic center through geolocated tours, multimedia content, augmented reality, and a rewards system. Sponsored by the USRA and the City of L’Aquila, it is part of the program for L’Aquila as the 2026 Italian Capital of Culture and is available at www.quartidirinascita.it.
L’Aquila’s historical and architectural heritage, along with its reconstruction journey, are transformed into a digital and interactive experience. It’s called Quarti di Rinascita , a free web app promoted bythe Special Office for the Reconstruction of L’Aquila (USRA) in collaboration with the City of L’Aquila. It was presented at a press conference on Wednesday, June 24, in the Conference Room of Palazzo Margherita, attended by Deputy Mayor Raffaele Daniele,City Councilor for Tourism Ersilia Lancia, and USRA Director Salvo Provenzano.
Accessible from smartphones and tablets at www.quartidirinascita.it, the platform allows users to explore the four historic districts of L’Aquila’s city center —Santa Maria, San Pietro, San Giovanni, and Santa Giusta—through geolocated and themed itineraries that combine cultural education, technical insights into the reconstruction process, and active user engagement.
What the web app offers: routes, augmented reality, and rewards
“Quarti di Rinascita ” is structured around four main pillars that set it apart from a simple digital guide:
Geolocated and thematic trails. The heart of the experience: itineraries that are activated based on the user’s location in the historic center, with content that changes depending on where you are. History, medieval architecture, post-earthquake reconstruction efforts, and interesting facts: every building, square, and alley takes on an additional layer of meaning.
Multimedia content and in-depth articles. Texts, historical photographs, archival materials, and technical documentation on the reconstruction efforts round out the visitor experience, offering two levels of interpretation—one accessible to the casual visitor, and another technical for those who want to understand how the city was rebuilt after the 2009 earthquake.
Augmented Reality. AR applications allow digital content to be superimposed onto the real urban landscape, revealing historical layers and transformations that would not be visible to the naked eye.
Gamification and a rewards system. Users earn digital badges by exploring historic neighborhoods and completing themed tours. The badges unlock rewards provided by participating businesses in the historic district—a mechanism that encourages visitors to explore the area more thoroughly and directly supports the local economy.
The Reconstruction, Told in the First Person
Quarti di Rinascita has a specific purpose that goes beyond digital tourism: to chronicle L’Aquila’s reconstruction following the 2009 earthquake through the projects carried out in its historic neighborhoods. It is a deliberate narrative choice—viewing the city not as a subject to be photographed, but as a process to be understood—which gives the web app a documentary value that is one of a kind.
“With this web app, we want to offer residents and visitors an innovative tool to learn more about the projects carried out in recent years, highlighting the work that has been done and transforming a visit to the city into an engaging experience that brings together culture, technology, and history,” said USRA Director Salvo Provenzano.
“This initiative represents an important opportunity to highlight L’Aquila’s historic neighborhoods and make the city increasingly attractive through innovative tools. Culture, technology, and commerce can work together to strengthen our community’s identity and its ability to welcome visitors,“ said Deputy Mayor Raffaele Daniele.
“The web app offers targeted promotion of our city, based on a collaboration between USRA, the City of L’Aquila, and the local business community—a valuable alliance among local stakeholders. And this is particularly significant in the year that L’Aquila is the Italian Capital of Culture,“ saidErsilia Lancia, Councilor for Tourism.
For Merchants: How to Join the Rewards Program
The City of L’Aquila published today, through its official channels, a call for expressions of interest aimed at local businesses that wish to participate in the initiative and the rewards system linked to the web app. Participating businesses will be part of the rewards program that users can unlock, gaining direct visibility among visitors who are most active in exploring the historic districts.
How to Access “Quarti di Rinascita”
The web app is free and requires no installation: it can be accessed directly from a mobile browser at www.quartidirinascita.it.
An initiative organized by USRA in collaboration with the City of L’Aquila, as part of the L’Aquila—Italian Capital of Culture 2026 program.