Pacentro Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Catch the bus from Sulmona for the 10-km trip. Buy a return ticket in Sulmona, as tickets can be hard to come by in the middle of the day in Pacentro. It is possible to take a 6.5-km walk through local farm lanes to or from Sulmona using Google Maps, passing olive groves, ruins and a quarry.

Map of Pacentro

• 42.05151513.9952791 Caldora Castle or Cantelmo Castle (Castello Caldora) (in the historic cent of Pacentro). It was built on a trapezoidal base. In the corners there are square-based towers (only three are visible today) typical of the Abruzzo landscape of the Peligna Valley. For its majesty it is famous among the Abruzzo castles. It overlooks the square with its seventeenth-century façade opposite the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The construction is prior to the period between the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century, given that the first renovation was carried out in this period; some date the construction between the 11th and 13th centuries, the period in which the truncated north-east tower should have been built. A reinforcement including some enhancements took place in the second half of the 15th century when the Orsini added circular towers. The construction of the trapezoidal walls can also be ascribed to this period. In the 1960s, the castle was restored again, but the massive use of reinforced concrete caused controversy; subsequently further restorations returned the original appearance of the Peligna fortress.  
• Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The parish church consists of three naves divided by octagonal pillars, of fifteenth-century structure, with later altars (from the 16th and 17th centuries); the façade, which dates back to the late 16th century although it also retains a 15th-century imprint, has three portals in the lower part, marked by large pilasters and a central elevation crowned by a tympanum, with curved connections. The bell tower is slender, with a pyramidal spire; the bell chamber is adorned with mullioned windows.
• Church of the Immaculate Conception
• 42.05063713.9920372 Church of San Marcello. One of the oldest churches in the town, dating back to the 11th century, and modified inside in 1801. The church was mentioned in the episcopal catalogue of the churches of the diocese of Valva in 1356. It hosts the confraternity of San Carlo Borromeo. The façade is from the 14th century, with a Durazzesco portal with an ogival lunette on the left containing a fresco by an unidentified artist with the Madonna and Child dating back to the early 15th century. 
• Church of San Marco. Dating back to the 16th century, it is located in the 19th century part of the village, just outside the walls. It dates back to the 17th century, but was modified in neo-Romanesque style in 1915 on the outside. It was the chapel of the Rossi family, built by Domenico Saverio. The façade has a round-arched portal, surmounted by a rayed rose window and a bell gable above the triangular tympanum. 
• Medieval city gate
• Baroque fountain in the square
• Houses of the medieval village

• 42.08194414.061 Maiella National Park (Parco nazionale della Maiella). Pacentro is in a good position for various nature excursions. The route leads to monuments of interest, such as the thòlos or the hermitage of San Germano at Passo San Leonardo.  
• Gypsy Race. First Sunday of September. Among the local traditions, this barefoot race stands out, held in honor of the Madonna of Loreto. The young people of the village climb the slopes of Colle Ardinghi, which is located in front of the village, and at the sudden sound of the bell of the small church dedicated to the Virgin, they launch themselves barefoot along the steep and rugged path that leads from the hill to the church, reporting many injuries. Of very ancient origins, dating back according to some to Roman rites, legend has it that the race was also used by the brave leader Giacomo Caldora to select among the common people valid elements for his mercenary army. 
• San Leonardo Pass. It is an Apennine pass at 1282 m above sea level in the western part of the Maiella massif. It is crossed by the Strada statale 487 and connects the municipality of Pacentro, in the Peligna Valley, with the municipality of Sant'Eufemia a Maiella, in the upper Orta Valley. It is also possible to reach the pass from the Campo di Giove side via the SP 54. The pass is an excellent starting point for climbs; in particular, through the rava della Giumenta Bianca (the so-called "direttissima") it is possible to reach Monte Amaro (2795 m), the highest peak of the Maiella. The town is home to a small ski resort, with easy ski slopes that are particularly suitable for beginners. There is also a ring for cross-country skiing. 

• Ristorante Zio Carlo - no English spoken and only a verbal menu but great atmosphere and friendly service - Largo Mulino 2