Sights in Abruzzo & Molise
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Saepinum
One of Molise’s hidden treasures, the Roman ruins of Saepinum are among the best preserved and least visited in the country. Unlike Pompeii and Ostia Antica, which were both major ports, Saepinum was a small provincial town of no great importance. It was originally established by the Samnites but the Romans conquered it in 293 BC, paving the way for an economic boom in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Some 700 years later, it was sacked by Arab invaders. The walled town retains three of its four original gates and its two main roads, the cardusmaximus and the decamanus. Highlights include the forum, basilica and theatre.
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Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio
The striking Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio is Abruzzo's most famous church. Its square pink-and-white quilt-pattern façade is a beautiful marriage of architectural styles - the intricate rose windows are typically Gothic while the imposing central portal is pure Romanesque. In contrast to the bright exterior, the interior is gloomy and stark.
Consecrated in 1288, the basilica became an important religious centre in 1294 when Pietro del Morrone was crowned Pope Celestine V here. As founder of the Celestine order, he was canonised in 1303, seven years after his death, and his tomb lies inside the basilica.
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La Perdonanza
L'Aquila's big annual event is La Perdonanza on 28 August. This colourful celebration goes back to 1294 when Pietro del Morrone was crowned Pope Celestine V in the Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio. In an act of largesse, Celestine granted plenary indulgence to everyone present who had confessed and taken Communion. Since then, every 28 August, the pardon has been repeated. The grand pardon is preceded by a 1000-strong costumed procession and a week of highly charged celebrations.
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Palazzo dell’Annunziata
The most impressive of the palazzi on Corso Ovidio is the 16th-century Palazzo dell’Annunziata, a harmonious blend of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Inside, the Museo Civico has a small collection of Roman mosaics and Renaissance sculpture, and the Museo Archeologico in situ showcases a 1st-century-BC Roman villa. At the time of research, both museums were closed on account of damage sustained in the 2009 earthquake.
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Forte Spagnolo
With the Gran Sasso d'Italia looming over, L'Aquila's 16th-century castle is a foreboding sight. Known locally as the Forte Spagnolo, it was built after an unsuccessful rebellion against the city's Spanish rulers in 1528. The austere geometry, steep blanched battlements and now-empty moat were designed by the Valencian architect Pirro Luis Scrivà and commissioned by Don Pedro de Toledo, the Spanish viceroy of Naples and de facto ruler of L'Aquila.
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Fountain of the 99 Spouts
The city's most emblematic sight, the Fountain of the 99 Spouts is a misnomer - there are, in fact, only 93 spewing gargoyles. Surrounded by a wall of pink-and-white stone, the 13th-century fountain is one of the few supplies of fresh water that has proved reliable throughout the city's earthquake-prone past. The fountain lies to the west of the centre, near the Porta Riviera, one of the city's four medieval gates.
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Abbazia di San Vincenzo al Volturno
A 30km drive northwest of Isernia, near Castel San Vincenzo, the Abbazia di San Vincenzo al Volturno is famous for its cycle of 9th-century frescoes by Epifanio (824–842). The abbey, one of the foremost monastic and cultural centres in 9th-century Europe, is now home to a community of Benedictine nuns.
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Cattedrale di San Basso
From Castello Svevo, follow the road up and you come to Piazza Duomo and Termoli’s majestic 12th-century Cattedrale di San Basso. A masterpiece of Puglian-Romanesque architecture, the cream-coloured facade features a striking round-arched central portal.
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Polo Museale Santa Chiara
On Piazza Garibaldi, housed in a former convent, is the Polo Museale Santa Chiara, a small museum with an eclectic collection of religious and contemporary art. A highlight is a fascinating presepe (nativity scene) depicting 19th-century Sulmona.
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Basilica di San Bernardino
To the north, the 15th-century Basilica di San Bernardino features a lavish three-tiered Renaissance façade and an opulent baroque interior. Of note are the detailed reliefs on San Bernadino's mausoleum. San Bernadino, originally from Siena, died in L'Aquila in 1444.
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Samnite theatre-temple complex
About 30km northeast of Isernia, outside Pietrabbondante, the remains of a 2nd-century-BC Samnite theatre-temple complex reward a visit, as much as anything for its panoramic setting high above the rolling green countryside.
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Centro Lupo
Seventeen kilometres from Pescasseroli, Civitella Alfedena (elevation 1121m) lies on the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise’s eastern edge above Lago di Barrea. Here, you can study the local flora and fauna at the Centro Lupo.
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Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo
Forte Spagnolo houses the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo and its collection of local archaeological finds and religious art. The surprise highlight is the skeleton of a million-year-old mammoth, unearthed near the city in 1954.
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Castello Svevo
Termoli’s most famous landmark, Frederick II’s 13th-century Castello Svevo guards entry to the tiny borgo, a tangle of narrow streets, pastel-coloured houses and souvenir shops.
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Museum
To see how the city's aristocracy once lived, head for the small museum in the Palazzo Signorini Corsi where you'll find the Corsi family's considerable collection of religious art and period furniture.
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Cattedrale di San Giuseppe
From the landmark Castello Caldoresco on Piazza Rossetti, Corso de Parma leads down to the 13th-century Cattedrale di San Giuseppe, a lovely low-key example of Romanesque architecture.
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Duomo
Lending its name to L'Aquila's central piazza, the Duomo has suffered repeated earthquake damage since the 13th-century. Today it boasts little more than an unexceptional neoclassical façade.
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Museo Civico Archaeologica
The Renaissance Palazzo d’Avalos houses the Museo Civico Archaeologica with its eclectic collection of ancient bronzes, glasswork and paintings.
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Riserva Collemeluccio
The 350-hectare Riserva Collemeluccio is a prime picnic venue. It also offers good walking, with several trails leading off from the roadside visitors centre.
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Museo d’Arte Moderna Vittoria Colonna
Near the seafront, the Museo d’Arte Moderna Vittoria Colonna boasts a Picasso and Miró among its small collection of modern art.
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Museo Casa Natale Gabriele D’Annunzio
The Museo Casa Natale Gabriele D’Annunzio is the birthplace of controversial fascist poet Gabriele D’Annunzio.
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Riserva Naturale di Punta Aderci
The Riserva Naturale di Punta Aderci is a 285-hectare area of uncontaminated rocky coastline.
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Museo Archeologico Vittoriano
The Museo Archeologico Vittoriano displays artefacts unearthed on the ruins of Saepinum.
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Chiesa di San Filippo Neri
The 14th-century Chiesa di San Filippo Neri boasts an impressive Gothic portal.
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