Discover the rich historical and religious heritage Abruzzo has to offer
With so much to take in and experience in the beautiful Abruzzo region, including the glorious Blue Flag beaches, stunning mountain scenery and green park land, you may not think about visiting any of the surrounding areas (or you may be struggling to find the time to fit everything in!), but with so many historical and religious attractions to discover, we highly recommend you plan some additional sightseeing trips. Here are a few, out of many, historical highlights in the Abruzzo area…
Lanciano
If you like to explore regions of rich heritage and local culture when you go away on holiday, a visit to Lanciano, which is only a short twenty minutes drive from Villa Ducale, is an absolute must.
Piazza Plebiscito, Lanciano, Abruzzo by Grogri
With its four ancient churches and stunning city wall circling the outside, Lanciano is a historical town that is also well known in Italy for its religious culture.
In fact, thousands of tourists visit Lanciano every year, as it is stated the town is home to the religious relic, Miracle of the Eucharist.
The town also hosts various festivals and events including the Festa della Madonna del Ponte traditional festival and the Palio delle contrade, both held in September.
Lanciano, Abruzzo, Italy by Olivier Jules
Roccascalegna
If you don’t mind travelling a bit further afield, Roccascalegna offers the ideal day out for all culture and history enthusiasts.
Roccascalegna is a wonderful town full of Italian culture, including the magnificent Roccascalegna castle and San Pancrazio Abbey.
San Pietro church, Roccascalegna, Abruzzo by Pietro Valocchi
The 14th century castle is open to visitors to explore in July and August; it even has its own dark, ancient legend.
The San Pancrazio Abbey sits underneath the castle and has had restoration works so you can experience the beautiful construction in all its splendour.
It takes around two and a half hours to drive to Roccascalegna, but you will be able to enjoy the exceptional countryside views along the way.
Roccascalegna Castle, Abruzzo, Italy by Zitumassin
Civitella del Tronto
Another historical sight of pure natural beauty that is not to be missed is the fortress town of Civitella del Tronto, in the Marche region which is situated between the Adriatic sea and Apennine mountains.
The fortress itself was built in the 16th century, is 500 metres long, and one of the largest in Europe.
Civitella del Tronto Fortress by Roberto Ferrari
You will be amazed at how outstanding it is! The views from the fortress are also absolutely incredible and are sure to take your breath away.
Civitella del Tronto is only an hour’s drive away from Villa Ducale, so we thoroughly recommend visiting this town when you come to Abruzzo for your holiday.
Sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Lumi, Civitella del Tronto, Abruzzo, Italy by pizzodisevo
As you can see, the Abruzzo region is full of historical and religious culture just waiting to be discovered. The difficulty will be finding the time to experience all the attractions on offer!
This article has been written by abruzzo4holidays.co.uk