The Ancient and Ever Young Sulmona

Sulmona, one of the oldest and most beautiful cities of Abruzzo, is situated 150 km away from Rome. You can reach the city driving on the highway Rome-Pescara in an hour and a half. The road from Rome to Pescara crosses the Apennines, and is extraordinarily picturesque.

Sulmona is comfortably located in the Valle Peligna (400 m above sea level) among the highest Apennine mountains – Maiella, Morrone and Sirente. More ...

The origins of Sulmona are lost in antiquity. The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso wrote in the poem "Fasti" that the city was founded by Phrygian Solimo, comrade-in-arms of the legendary Aeneas. The first documented record of Sulmona was made by the ancient historian Titus Livy. He stated that, despite the defeat of the Romans in the battles near the Trasimeno Lake (217 BC) and Cannes (216 BC) during the Second Punic War, Sulmona remained loyal to the Roman Empire and slammed town gates in the face of Hannibal.

Sulmona was a birthplace of the great Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC–17 or 18 AD). Ovid was famous for his love elegies and poems «Metamorphosis» and «The Art of Love». Ovid glorified Sulmona in one of his «Mournful Elegies» (Trist., IV, 10), where he wrote: «Sulmo mihi patria est» («Sulmona is my fatherland»). Since the Middle Ages the acronym SMPE has been presented on the city’s coat of arms. More ...

Slow Walks about Sulmona

Many beautiful architectural monuments of different eras and styles have been kept in Sulmona. The strongest impression is made by a perfectly preserved medieval aqueduct, built in 1256. It is 100 meters long. 21 lancet arch spans are made of hewn stone. The aqueduct is not only the main architectural ornament of the city, but also represents a rather complex engineering facility. More ...

The main attraction for citizens and tourists is a complex of Renaissance buildings in the historic center. In essence, these buildings were united in one integral architectural ensemble as a result of numerous reconstructions, which lasted for several centuries. The most precious monument is the palace of Santissima Annunziata. The elegant limestone palace was being built for almost two centuries (from the beginning of the 15^th century to the end of the 17^th century). Near the palace is situated the Church of the Holy Annunziata. These two buildings embody four centuries of art and architecture in Sulmona and represent a unique fusion of the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and local artistic traditions. Currently, the palace of Santissima Annunziata hosts a museum containing with rich exposition.

Sulmona carefully honors its ancient traditions. On the Easter Sunday, there is held a colorful procession of the «Madonna, escaping from the square» (La Madonna che scappa in piazza). More ...

Each year Sulmona hosts a magnificent chivalrous tournament (Giostra Cavalleresca). This tradition began in the second half of the 15^th century and lasted until the middle of the 17^th century. In 1995, the chivalrous tournaments in Sulmona were resumed.

Sulmona is also famous for its sweet tradition. While walking along the main street – Corso Ovidio you will certainly catch sight of showcases with bright artificial flowers. Looking more closely you will realize that these flowers are artfully made of candies. These sweets which are called «confetti di Sulmona» have been produced since the late 15^th century. More ...

You can watch slideshows about Sulmona and La Giostra Cavalleresca in our media gallery.

In this article information was used from the sites www.it.wikipedia.org, www.abruzzoeappennino.com, www.comune.sulmona.aq.it, www.sulmona.org, www.giostrasulmona.it.