The best MTB trails around Torre De' Passeri

The Piccolomini Castle, which overlooks the town center and today also houses the Town Hall. It is located right on the main square, which is why it is so distinctive in the village's panorama. It is a structure with medieval origins, built on the remains of a previous fortification, of which the central prismatic tower still remains. The current appearance is the result of various interventions by the noble families who owned it over time, particularly the Acquaviva, Piccolomini, and Medici families; the fifteenth-century configuration is generally attributed to 1485, while the interior was restored in 1924.

From Popoli, take the road to San Rocco (Via delle svolte) to enjoy the beautiful dirt roads of the Tirino valley.

The Cathedral of Saints Valentine and Damian (real name) in San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore (PE) is not only the spiritual center of the village, but also a tangible testimony to its millennia-old history. Its roots date back to around the year 1000, when the village, initially known as Castrum Petrae, became the burial place (and subsequent transfer of the bodies) of the Holy Martyrs Valentine and Damian, elevating the site to a pilgrimage destination and decreeing its name change. The current building is the result of a long process of destruction and rebirth, typical of Abruzzo towns. The most crucial moment was the great Maiella earthquake of 1706, which devastated much of the area and necessitated almost complete reconstruction. It was following this earthquake that the church took on its most distinctive character. The interior, in fact, is a magnificent example of sumptuous 18th-century Baroque, the result of restoration work carried out between 1777 and 1791. Here, the wide single nave unfolds beneath a richly decorated barrel vault, punctuated by pilasters with Corinthian capitals, creating an atmosphere of great elegance and sumptuousness. In stark contrast to this interior grace, the exterior boasts a powerful salient façade flanked by twin bell towers. This end block was added only more recently (between 1920 and 1931), designed by architect Antonio Liberi, giving the cathedral the monumental appearance we know today. Guardian of the remains of the patron saints and a symbol of the village's resilience after natural disasters, the cathedral perfectly embodies the faith and history of San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore.

lovely lunch here. you have to book on a Sunday

The Hermitage is wonderful, you can access it by crawling between two stones and inside it, you experience a mystical atmosphere. You must bring a water bottle with you because on the path, which involves a walk of about half an hour, there are no fountains available.

Right near the church there is a beautiful fountain and a short distance away there is access to the Valle Giumentina path.

By making this small change to the route you can enjoy a magnificent view which, when the sky is clear, also allows you to see the sea.

Antonio Piccolomini was a lover of military art and the arts in general, he left memories of himself in various places in Abruzzo having been invested as Count, Baron and Marquis...