Established in 1960 as a higher education institute and named after writer and poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, it was officially recognised as an independent university in 1965 by Minister Luigi Gui.

It provides undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education, in addition to a range of international programs in multiple fields of study.

The creation of the University Consortium of Abruzzi was officially approved in 1960 by the Prefect of Chieti, following the participation of the Chambers of Commerce and the Board of the Banks of the town, in association with over sixty municipalities from the region.

[8] In 1961, the faculty of letters and philosophy was inaugurated at the National Archaeology Museum of Abruzzo by the technical organising committee, chaired by Professor Ettore Paratore.

On 3 March 1965, Minister of Public Education Luigi Gui signed the decree of recognition of the Gabriele D'Annunzio Free University of Abruzzo, named after the Italian writer and poet from Pescara.

[11] Professor Renato Balzarini was elected as the first Rector of the university and chaired the first meeting of the board of trustees, which was originally composed of fourteen members.

[16] The seal of the university was inspired by a sculpture of Pietro Cascella located in the campuses of Chieti and Pescara; it reproduces the stylised form of the head of the Roman goddess of wisdom Minerva, placed on a simple base and bearing the words "Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio", upon which the acronym "Ud'A" is superimposed.

[18] The Institute of Hospitalisation and Treatment for Scientific Purposes was launched at D'Annunzio University by Minister of Health Rosy Bindi in early 2000.

[21] In 2002, the university opened four new faculties, with a consequent increase in student numbers that led to the creation of a second teaching centre at the Madonna delle Piane campus in Chieti.

[19] The following year saw the birth of the D'Annunzio University Foundation and the official opening of the Centre for Research in Aging, which took place in the presence of Minister Letizia Moratti.

[28] It is the home of Rectorate Auditorium which serves as the university's main venue for music concerts, lectures, and academic ceremonies.

[32] Viale Pindaro campus spans 6.29 acres (2.55 ha) in Porta Nuova, located immediately south of downtown Pescara.

Situated within the urban area of the city, its academic buildings were designed according to modern architecture and through the use of environmentally friendly construction practices.

[35] D'Annunzio University provides a number of undergraduate and postgraduate detached courses in the cities of Vasto, Lanciano and Torre de' Passeri.

The role of the Rector is to represent the university and to convene and chair the board of directors, the executive committee, and the academic senate.

[37] D'Annunzio University provides undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education, in addition to a range of international programs in multiple fields of study.

It is divided into thirteen departments, which are primary centres where teaching and research co-exist to promote scientific activities for different educational areas.

The university library system also maintains subscriptions to a number of online databases which can be accessed from any student account on or off campus.

[44] The seat of Pescara is the home of a unified library centre with individual sections focusing on Architecture, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Economics and Management Sciences.

D'Annunzio University has also established a botanical garden known as Giardino dei Semplici, containing a collection of herbs and woody plants related to traditional medicine which are used as an additional resource for scientific research.

[30] D'Annunzio University's faculty has included scholars such as linguist and politician Tullio De Mauro, teleologist Vincenzo Fagiolo, writers Antonio Porta and Carlo Vecce, architect Giorgio Grassi, athlete Pietro Mennea, biologist Alberto Oliverio, musicologist Diego Carpitella, historian John Foot, linguist Pietro Trifone, psychiatrist Rita El Khayat, lawyers Flavia Lattanzi and Franco Gaetano Scoca, philosopher Sergio Cotta, economist Fabio Fortuna, and physicians Giovanni Gasbarrini and Roberto Paganelli.

Other notable alumni include journalist Giampiero Catone, writer Giada Trebeschi, and painter Luciano de Liberato, among others.