Penne, Loreto Aprutino, Pianella, and Tocco da Casauria are tranquil yet rugged towns, rich in art and history. Surrounded by rolling hills covered in olive groves and vineyards, these villages open up to the deep blue of the Adriatic Sea.
Day One
Penne sits atop a hill with sweeping views all the way to Gran Sasso. The town’s winding streets are lined with elegant noble residences. Noteworthy sights include Porta San Francesco from 1780; the Cathedral and its adjoining museum; the churches of Sant’Agostino, the Annunziata (one of Abruzzo’s most beautiful Baroque churches), San Giovanni Evangelista, and San Domenico. A road about 5 km long descends from the town to Lake Penne, now a Regional Nature Reserve covering 150 hectares, where various species of resident and migratory birds find refuge. The WWF has also established an Oasis here, home to foxes, badgers, wild boars, martens, wild cats, polecats, and weasels.
The reserve features a Visitor Center, an Environmental Education Center, a Botanical Garden, a Butterfly Garden, and an important otter breeding program—the real stars of the park—which both adults and children can observe through a large window as the animals dive, chase, and perform acrobatics underwater: it’s a fascinating spectacle. From Penne, follow the scenic road to Loreto Aprutino, considered the capital of Aprutino-Pescarese PDO extra-virgin olive oil.
Dating back to the Middle Ages, the village boasts architectural gems such as the 14th-century Church of San Pietro Apostolo at the hilltop; the Palazzo dei baroni Acerbo, which houses the largest collection of ancient Abruzzo ceramics; the 13th-century Church of San Francesco; and Castello Chiola, now an elegant boutique hotel.
Day Two
South-east of Loreto, taking the scenic hillside road, you’ll reach the village of Pianella, home to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, built in the 12th century by Benedictine monks atop a hill just outside the center. Its elegant brick bell tower, rose window, and Casaurian-style portal stand out from the outside. Inside, you’ll find a richly decorated limestone pulpit crafted by master Acuto in the early 13th century, featuring symbols of the four evangelists.
To the south-west of Pianella, in San Clemente a Casauria near Tocco, you’ll find Abruzzo’s most famous abbey, whose origins date back to 871 AD. Ravaged by Saracens and Normans, the abbey was rebuilt at the end of the 12th century. Its portal and porch still display extraordinary bas-reliefs. The pulpit, an altar made from a Roman sarcophagus, and the crypt are also remarkably elegant. San Clemente is a historic site—this is where the Chronicon casauriense was composed, considered a vital document for understanding medieval Europe, now preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.
