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Museo Paleolitico di Isernia
Built around the adjacent 730,000-year-old archaeological site of La Pineta, this intriguing museum stands next to a pavilion that protects the site of…
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Abruzzo & Molise
Bisected by the spinal Apennine mountains, Abruzzo and Molise make up Italy’s forgotten quarter, blessed more with natural attractions than cultural colossi. A major national-park-building effort in the 1990s created an almost unbroken swath of protected land that stretches from the harsh, isolated Monti della Laga in the north to the round-topped Majella mountains further south.
Dotted in their midst are some of Italy’s most unspoiled mountain villages. Sometimes, a visit here feels like a trip back to the 1950s – a world of wheezing trains, ruined farmhouses and poppy-filled pastures. All this is good news for prospective walkers, who share the region’s ample paths with sheepdogs, mountain goats, abundant bird life and the odd, rarely sighted, human being.
Sulmona is the best base for mountain excursions, Pescara on the Adriatic coast satisfies those with traditional beach urges, while diminutive Molise hides vestiges of the Roman past.
Explore Abruzzo & Molise
- MMuseo Paleolitico di Isernia
Built around the adjacent 730,000-year-old archaeological site of La Pineta, this intriguing museum stands next to a pavilion that protects the site of…
- SSaepinum
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…
- MMuseo Archeologico Nazionale d'Abruzzo – Villa Frigerj
Housed in a neoclassical villa in the Villa Comunale park, Abruzzo's best archaeological museum displays a comprehensive collection of local finds,…
- AAbbazia di San Vincenzo al Volturno
Founded in the 8th century, the Abbazia di San Vincenzo al Volturno is famous for its cycle of 9th-century frescoes by Epifanio (824–842) in the crypt…
- EEremo di Sant’Onofrio al Morrone
This cliff-clinging hermitage with its 15th-century ceiling, 13th-century frescoes, narrow oratory and arched porticoes cowers under a massive rock face…
- SSantuario di Ercole Curino
Sitting below the Sant’Onofrio hermitage, this sanctuary was originally thought to be the house of Sulmona-born poet Ovid when it was first uncovered in…
- BBasilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio
With its distinctive chequerboard facade and strong links to Italy’s much admired hermit-pope Celestino V (whose remains are interred inside), the 12th…
- PPiazza Garibaldi
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…
- PPalazzo d'Avalos
The Renaissance Palazzo d’Avalos houses a quartet of museums: the Museo Archeologico, with its eclectic collection of ancient bronzes, glasswork and…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Abruzzo & Molise.
See
Museo Paleolitico di Isernia
Built around the adjacent 730,000-year-old archaeological site of La Pineta, this intriguing museum stands next to a pavilion that protects the site of…
See
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…
See
Museo Archeologico Nazionale d'Abruzzo – Villa Frigerj
Housed in a neoclassical villa in the Villa Comunale park, Abruzzo's best archaeological museum displays a comprehensive collection of local finds,…
See
Abbazia di San Vincenzo al Volturno
Founded in the 8th century, the Abbazia di San Vincenzo al Volturno is famous for its cycle of 9th-century frescoes by Epifanio (824–842) in the crypt…
See
Eremo di Sant’Onofrio al Morrone
This cliff-clinging hermitage with its 15th-century ceiling, 13th-century frescoes, narrow oratory and arched porticoes cowers under a massive rock face…
See
Santuario di Ercole Curino
Sitting below the Sant’Onofrio hermitage, this sanctuary was originally thought to be the house of Sulmona-born poet Ovid when it was first uncovered in…
See
Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio
With its distinctive chequerboard facade and strong links to Italy’s much admired hermit-pope Celestino V (whose remains are interred inside), the 12th…
See
Piazza Garibaldi
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…
See
Palazzo d'Avalos
The Renaissance Palazzo d’Avalos houses a quartet of museums: the Museo Archeologico, with its eclectic collection of ancient bronzes, glasswork and…
Guidebooks
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