Since for a long time it was a border place between the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal States, it acquired a separate identity and, because of the difficult communications with the other parts of Italy, it stayed isolated for long periods of time. The Gran Sasso tunnel recently allowed Teramo to move out of this isolation. The economy of the town is mostly based on activities connected with agriculture and commerce, as well as a sound industrial sector: textiles, foods, engineering, building materials and ceramics. Teramo can easily be reached from the A14 autostrada or, in about two hours by car from Rome via the A24 autostrada.