Photo Nicola Vinciguerra, CC BY 2.5
L'Aquila · Abruzzo
Things to see in Sulmona
In Sulmona the atlas lists 21 historic places: 7 museums, 5 historic villas and palaces, 4 archaeological sites, 2 abbeys and monasteries, 2 fortresses and towers and 1 historic theatre.
Of these, 2 list opening hours.
Don’t miss: Abbey of the Holy Spirit at Monte Morrone (13th century), Celestine abbey founded in the 13th century located in the municipality of Sulmona, in the province of L'Aquila in Italy.
- 21historic places
- 22,175inhabitants
- 405 maltitude
The town
Sulmona is a secluded and somewhat overlooked small city in Abruzzo. Surrounded by imposing mountains at about four hundred metres above sea level, it doesn't feel like it has 25,000 inhabitants. It is close to the ski resorts of Roccaraso and the beaches around Pescara. Sulmona is one of the oldest towns in Abruzzo, with many buildings from the Middle Ages or earlier. It is well known for being the native town of the poet Ovid.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage
21 places
Museums 7
Villas and palaces 5
Archaeological sites 4
Abbeys and monasteries 2
- Free 1st Sunday
Historic theatres 1
Getting there
Sulmona is very well connected to Rome, Pescara and other cities in Abruzzo, via train, bus and autostrada.
By train: The train across the mountains from Rome (via Tivoli and Avezzano) is spectacular and slow, perfect for checking out the scenery. There are about six trains daily from Rome Tiburtina station (first at 07.51, last at 18.38) which take about 2 hours 45 minutes.
About ten Trenitalia trains run daily from Pescara Centrale station (first at 04.50, last at 21.00) which takes about an hour..
By bus: The quickest way from Rome is to take the regular buses to and from Rome Tiburtina bus station which takes around two hours. There are also ARPA buses from Pescara and L'Aquila.
By car: Driving from Rome takes about 1.5 hours along the Autostrada A25 (Roma–Pescara). The roads are excellent and traffic light most of the time, but be prepared for traffic getting out of Rome. The toll will cost around €9 all the way (pick up a ticket going out of Rome, hand the ticket to the booth at the Sulmona exit).
It's possible to drive from pescara in less than 1 hour.
When parking it's best to avoid the old town and park just outside. There is a good car park next to the fire station (follow signs to the 'Vigili del fuoco' from where it is a short walk up to the old town.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage
What to see, according to Wikivoyage
Cattedrale di San Panfilo. Dating from 1075 this cathedral shows layer upon layer of architectural renovations after successive earthquakes.
Piazza XX Settembre. One of the main squares of the city, bustling with people during the early evenings. A bronze statue of the Roman poet Ovid takes up the centre of the square.
Piazza Garibaldi The largest square in the town, featuring a large Baroque fountain and the location of weekly markets on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Palazzo Annunziata Palace and a museum complex depicting the city's Roman history.
Chiesa di SS. Annunziata. Beautiful Baroque architecture with exquisite interior.
Church of Santa Maria della Tomba is a beautifully restored church constructed in the location of a pagan temple for Jove, the 14th century Porta Napoli.
Aqueduct is a striking part of the main square and dates back to 1256.
Santa Chiara monastery - Museum of Modern Art and a collection of embroidered clothes worn by priests.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage · Underlined names link to our own pages.