Abbazia di Santo Spirito al Morrone, Sulmona

The Abbey of Santo Spirito al Morrone has represented for centuries the most important and famous settlement of the Celestine Congregation as well as the center of cultural, religious, and civil life of a vast territory.

The monumental complex, which occupies an area of 16,600 sqm, stands only 5 km from the center of Sulmona in the locality of Badia.

Its origins are linked to the figure of Pietro di Angelerio, a Benedictine monk, hermit, founder of the Celestine order and Pope under the name of Celestine V. It was he who began its construction, probably enlarging the small church of Santa Maria dating back to the first half of the 13th century and then promoting the construction of a new church dedicated to the Holy Spirit with an attached Monastery. In this place, he also established the Mother House of the Order following the General Chapter held in June 1293.

Over the centuries, the Abbey has undergone various phases of expansion, of which we still have beautiful testimonies, up to the significant interventions following the earthquake of 1706. The current layout is composed of a monumental 18th-century church and an imposing monastery that is arranged around five internal courtyards, three larger and two smaller.

The monks lived in this complex until the promulgation of the Napoleonic law of 1806 which provided for the suppression of Religious Orders. Subsequently, the abbey was assigned different uses: initially a Royal College of the three Abruzzo, then a hospice for beggars, then a military district with an attached hospital, in 1868 it was transformed into a prison and remained so until 1993. On March 12, 1998, it was assigned to the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and restoration work began. It is currently the site of detached offices of the Superintendence for Historical, Artistic, and Ethno-anthropological Heritage, the Superintendence for Architectural and Landscape Heritage, and the Majella Park Authority.

Guided tours, conferences, exhibitions, and concerts are held here which are transforming the complex into a driving center of culture.