“Tour post” is a monthly rubric to get to know (in 48 hours) the Terre dei Trabocchi. Every post will have more stages, the ones for today including Lanciano, Rocca San Giovanni, and San Vito Marina.
Have a good tour!
Friday
3:00 PM – Lanciano, a stroll through the city of miracles
This city, traditionally tied to commerce and festivals. It’s known worldwide for the Eucharistic Miracle.
In every corner one can breathe in art, history, and culture, but also mystery and enchantment that only the most careful eye is able to read and decipher.
Wander the city streets hitting the most historic locations – scenery: Piazza Plebiscito and the majestic Duomo, Parco Diocleziano, a green space in the heart of Lanciano; the remains of the walls of the medieval town, the “Montanare Towers”, overlooking the valley that opens towards the Majella. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the most important monuments of Abruzzo, with the magnificence of the fourteenth-century portal that stands on top of a wide staircase. It’s impossible not to be carried away by the magic of the Eucharistic Miracle, (the oldest reports of which occurred around the 8th century AD): the Basilica of San Francesco hosts precious relics, within a Gothic and Baroque structure, sheltered by the surrounding walls of the ancient village.
7:00 PM Evening
Treat yourself to an aperitif, a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or dinner to taste the local cuisine. The range of selection is broad. We announce Il Corvo Torvo (Corso Roma, 92) and Millenovecentoundici (via 99 Bastions), also perfect for after dinner.
If you are a fan of the theater, don’t miss a visit to the Teatro Fenaroli, while in the nearby Cafeteria Fenaroli (Via V.k, 1) you’ll find year-round exhibitions and live music.
Saturday
10:00 AM Breakfast
Start your day with the Castel Frentano bocconotto, a typical local sweet, delicious pastry specialties made from a soft and intense chocolate-based stuffing, roasted almonds and cinnamon. The address not to be missed is that of Bocconotteria (Via e. Tinari).
11:00 AM Polo Museale Santo Spirito, Lanciano
There’s a cultural stage at the Polo Museale, among the oldest buildings of the city, whose foundation dates back to 1293. It was originally a monastery, and after years of restoration it was possible to recover the structure, which now houses the archaeological museum, two exhibition halls, a classroom and a seminar room. The archaeological museum represents a long stroll into the ancient history of Lanciano: starting from the 5th century BC until the Roman era, with the subsequent stages of the Byzantine period and the early middle ages. The journey ends with the exposure of refined maiolica arcaica vases made by Lancianian potters in medieval times. For info. 0872700578 – 3386915652.
13.00 Lunch
For lunch, get out of the city and enjoy the gastronomic excellence of the region in one of the many cottages in the area. Please note the farmhouse Caniloro in Contrada s. Onofrio.
3:00 PM Rocca San Giovanni
Take a stroll in Rocca San Giovanni, one of the most beautiful villages of Italy. Nearby is Cantina Frentana (Via Perazza, 32) Here with a reservation guests can pay a visit and taste Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Cerasuolo and Trebbiano.
5:00 PM San Giovanni in Venere, Fossacesia
Go down to the coast to the majestic and picturesque Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere that clings to a hillside, overlooking the rugged Adriatic coast. The first part was built by Benedictine monks between the 6th and the 7th century on the ruins of an ancient pagan temple dedicated to Venus. The existing building is Abbot Oderisius II (1155 – 1204), buried in the sarcophagus on the main facade.
8:00 PM dinner on the Trabocco
Enjoy the sunset and dine on one of the many trabocchi in the area: Pesce Palombo, Punta Rocciosa, Punta Cavalluccio, Sasso della Cajana, Punta Isolata, Punta Tufano, and Valle Grotte. Here you will find all the details.
Sunday
10:30 AM the places of Gabriele D’Annunzio, San Vito Marina
Visit the places that inspired Gabriele D’Annunzio, like the Promontorio Dannunziano: a corner of paradise, a unique panorama viewpoint, a pebble beach and crystal clear water. Behind it is DʼAnnunzioʼs Hermitage, the House where D’Annunzio spent a period of his life along with Barbara Leoni. And then the Trabocco of the Turchino (currently unavailable), which the poet describes in one of his best known works, “Il Trionfo della Morte” (“The triumph of death”): “from the extreme point of the promontory, right above a group of reefs, stretching a trabocco, a strange fishing machine, all composed of planks and beams, that looks like a colossal spider.
1:00 PM Lunch
Dine in a restaurant that has made history in these parts: L’Angolino da Filippo (Via Nazionale Adriatica, 31), since 1891 serves gourmet delights with fish specialities. Not far away there’s De Sanctis restaurant inside the Hotel Garden.
Translated by Alan Glenn Embree
[Credits | Photography: Flickr (AaronP65, Tony-mezzosub, Fabrizio Magosso, Merlindino), Angelo Del Mastro, Google, borghitalia.it, Carmelita Cianci]
