Are you thinking of a trip to Abruzzo and would you finally like to discover what to see in Sulmona, the famous “town of confetti”?
Well, you’re in the right place!
Sulmona is famous throughout Italy for its confetti (sugared almonds), but few know it’s also a very ancient town, perfect for a day visit. The old town isn’t big, but I recommend a tour of its most beautiful churches. Through the year, too, there are events not to miss: the Giostra Cavalleresca (a jousting tournament) in late July and the spectacular “Madonna che scappa in piazza” on Easter Sunday.
But that’s not all! Did you know that in Sulmona a medieval aqueduct still stands? Built in 1256 under King Manfred of Swabia, with its 21 pointed arches along Piazza Garibaldi, it’s one of the most beautiful sights in central-southern Italy.
Even the setting will leave you speechless: Sulmona lies in the green heart of Abruzzo, not far from the Majella National Park and the beautiful Lake Scanno.
Want to know more?
Before telling you what to see in Sulmona, two curiosities. According to legend the town was founded by Solymus, one of Aeneas’s companions; but its most famous son is undoubtedly the Roman poet Ovid, born here in 43 BC and honoured with a statue in the centre (the town still bears the motto SMPE, “Sulmo mihi patria est”, Sulmona is my homeland).
Off we go!
Santa Maria della Tomba
The first stop for many tourists is the Pelino confetti factory; the first I’ll tell you about, though, is the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Tomba.
It’s one of the first things to see in Sulmona to be plunged straight into the Middle Ages: of medieval origin (13th-14th century), it rises, as often happens, over the remains of an ancient pagan temple. The Romanesque-Gothic façade is simple and clean, but don’t be fooled: stop to admire its beautiful rose window and portal.
Inside it loses part of its medieval charm (the decoration is Baroque), but the three-nave layout is still marked by elegant Gothic columns. The finest thing, for me, remains the old architecture itself.
The crypt of San Panfilo
The cathedral of San Panfilo is the ideal destination if you’re a Middle Ages enthusiast like me. It’s the first monument you’ll meet coming from the station and one of the oldest in the city.
Like Santa Maria della Tomba, San Panfilo too was built in the early Middle Ages over older buildings (perhaps a temple of Apollo). On the outside it’s similar to Santa Maria della Tomba, with an ogival portal flanked by two lions bearing the statues of San Pelino and San Panfilo: it’s all that remains of the old medieval structure, since the right wing and the bell tower are Renaissance additions.
So why is it worth visiting?
Because the crypt of San Panfilo was one of the places that moved me most. It’s the oldest part of the church: inside you’ll find a fine 14th-century fresco and a 15th-century sarcophagus. Heavily restored in the 19th century, today it has returned to its simple form as a place of medieval contemplation.
Not to be missed!
The Annunziata complex
If all this talk of the Middle Ages hasn’t tired you out, there’s one last building I recommend: the beautiful Annunziata complex, a 14th-century monument (founded in 1320) made up of the church and the palace of the Annunziata.
Repeatedly reworked, it keeps a truly distinctive exterior, far richer in decoration than the two previous churches. The oldest part, on the left, has a beautiful Gothic portal with the Virgin and Child, crowned by the statue of Saint Michael the Archangel; the central section, Renaissance, has twisted colonnettes, a stunning mullioned window and depictions of the Virtues. Look too at the cornice running along the façade, with putti and sacred and profane figures, and the seven statues: Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Bonaventure, Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, San Panfilo (patron of Sulmona), Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
Inside is now the civic museum, with an important archaeological section and medieval and modern works, including the Tabernacle of Giovanni da Sulmona.
In short, the visit is absolutely recommended.
What to see near Sulmona
A few kilometres from the town there are two more places I’d recommend.
The first is the hermitage of Sant’Onofrio al Morrone, on the slopes of Mount Morrone, where Pietro da Morrone used to retreat in prayer. Having become pope under the name of Celestine V, he went down in history as the first pontiff to abdicate, in 1294 (the second would be Benedict XVI, in 2013); Dante identified him, by tradition, with “the one who made, through cowardice, the great refusal”. The cave where he withdrew can still be reached by an external staircase, and it’s said that the imprint of his body remains on a stone, with miraculous powers against rheumatism. In the oratory there are some medieval frescoes with the Crucifixion.
The second is the ancient sanctuary of Hercules Curinus, an archaeological site dedicated to the demigod Hercules: enlarged around 89 BC with terraces recalling the sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia in Palestrina or that of Hercules in Tivoli. Little remains of the old structure, but you can see the great staircase and the altar; look too for the little column with twelve carved verses, attributed to Ovid.
The event not to miss: the running Madonna
The most important event in Sulmona is the “Madonna che scappa in piazza” (the running Madonna), on Easter Sunday.
The townsfolk gather in Piazza Garibaldi for a real dash: the statue of the Madonna, dressed in black mourning, is carried towards the risen Son and, at the most spectacular moment, the black cloak falls away to reveal a beautiful green mantle. It’s a mechanism handed down over generations within the confraternity. If you want to watch, be in the square early in the morning: it’s a deeply felt procession that draws thousands of visitors.
And you, are you drawn more to Sulmona’s silent Middle Ages or to the colourful sweetness of its confetti?
