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Abruzzo

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Campo imperatore in Abruzzo

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Overview

Neither part of fashion conscious, Ferrari-producing northern Italy, nor the siesta-loving, anarchic world of the south, Abruzzo is something of an enigma. Despite its proximity to Rome and its long history of tribalism and pre-Roman civilisation, it sits well down the pecking order of Italian regions in terms of touristic allure.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Museo Archeologico Nazionale d'Abruzzo – Villa Frigerj

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale d'Abruzzo – Villa Frigerj

    Abruzzo

    Housed in a neoclassical villa in the Villa Comunale park, Abruzzo's best archaeological museum displays a comprehensive collection of local finds,…

  • Eremo di sant'Onofrio al Marrone, Sulmona, Abruzzo, Italy.

    Eremo di Sant’Onofrio al Morrone

    Abruzzo

    This cliff-clinging hermitage with its 15th-century ceiling, 13th-century frescoes, narrow oratory and arched porticoes cowers under a massive rock face…

  • Santa Maria di Collemaggio basilica facade

    Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio

    Abruzzo

    With its distinctive chequerboard facade and strong links to Italy’s much admired hermit-pope Celestino V (whose remains are interred inside), the 12th…

  • Piazza Garibaldi

    Piazza Garibaldi

    Abruzzo

    The large town square is home to Sulmona's extensive Wednesday and Saturday morning market: you'll find fresh fish, veg, fruit and flowers, as well as the…

  • Palazzo d'Avalos

    Palazzo d'Avalos

    Abruzzo

    The Renaissance Palazzo d’Avalos houses a quartet of museums: the Museo Archeologico, with its eclectic collection of ancient bronzes, glasswork and…

  • Abbazia di Santo Spirito Al Morrone

    Abbazia di Santo Spirito Al Morrone

    Abruzzo

    It’s hard to miss this massive 13th-century Celestine abbey in Badia, close to the sheer western slopes of the Morrone mountains. Notable for its…

  • Museo Casa Natale Gabriele D'Annunzio

    Museo Casa Natale Gabriele D'Annunzio

    Pescara

    The birthplace of controversial proto-fascist poet Gabriele D'Annunzio is small but excellently curated, with nine rooms displaying furniture, documents,…

  • Hotel Campo Imperatore

    Hotel Campo Imperatore

    Abruzzo

    Built in the 1930s, the Campo Imperatore is the hotel where Mussolini was briefly imprisoned in 1943, before his dramatic rescue by German paratroopers…

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