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things to do in abruzzo

Things to do in Abruzzo in summer: festivals and feasts

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There are so many things to do in Abruzzo in summer! Lazing on the beach is great but to get to know our beautiful region better make sure you check out some these events to understand local life and traditions. There is something going on almost every day: big festivals, smaller local celebrations, village feasts. Here are just a few of my picks of the top events not to miss this summer.

San Zopito

Loreto Aprutino (PE), June 8-10

The festival is celebrated 50 days after Easter, so the dates vary every year. On Pentecost, the beautiful town of Loreto Aprutino, celebrates its patron saint, San Zopito. For three days, the locals will attend church services, participate in religious processions, enjoy live music and street food. The most interesting procession re-enacting the arrival of the saint’s relics will take place on Monday evening. A large white ox decorated with bright ribbons and pompoms will carry an Angioletto, a little girl dressed in white with a flower crown on her head. Accompanied by bagpipers and a group of farmers, the majestic ox will slowly walk through the town’s historic centre stopping at several churches to kneel. One of the stops will be at the noble palace of the Valentini family, the famous wine producers. They will treat everyone to tarallucci biscuits and wine.

The festival’s origins go back to an event in 1711. A local farmer Carlo Parlione worked with a white ox in the fields. He didn’t stop working when the religious procession that was bringing the saint’s relics approached Loreto Aprutino but his ox kneeled at the sight of the cortege. At that moment, a sick farmer’s relative was miraculously cured. For more details see the event’s Facebook page.

Jazz festival

Pescara, July 8-22

The International Jazz Festival in Pescara is turning 50 years this summer. Over the decades, it has hosted such famous jazz stars as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis Group, Dizzy Gillespie, Tracy Chapman and many others. During the two weeks of festival there will be 24 concerts, many of them free, at different venues across the city. I love the great atmosphere that it brings to Pescara, open air concerts on balmy summer evenings and the buzz of the eclectic crowds of locals. Tickets for some performances such as that of Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joshua Redman or Jacob Collier will sell fast, so don’t wait, book them now. See the full programme on the Pescara Jazz Festival’s website.

Cellari aperti

Castel del Monte (Aq), July 13-14

During this small but fascinating event you’ll be able to visit old cellars in the town that have been used by local families for many centuries to store cured meats, wine, cheese or keep animals. In each cellar you’ll taste local specialities such as the pecorino canestrato cheese, marcetto cheese made with larvae (it is served without them, don’t worry), a local drink la tromba, pasta dish ciafrechìglie e fagioli, see how locals make cheese and pasta or dye wool with natural pigments. There will be traditional music, dances and a great atmosphere.

Follow the event’s Facebook page for more details.

photo by Cellari Aperti/Facebook

La Giostra Cavalleresca

Sulmona (Aq), July 27-28, August 3-4

A jousting tournament is held in Sulmona over two weekends in July and August. Popular in the Middle Ages, the event was stopped in the 17th century due to lack of participants. The city of Sulmona revived the tournament in 1994 in a modernised version without bloodshed (in the past, knights and warriors hit each other with spears). Seven neighbourhoods of the city are represented by a rider compete for the highest score by hooking rings with their lances on the city’s central square, Piazza Garibaldi. During the tournament weekends, you can see stunning costumed parades, flag throwing, birds of prey shows. The city’s neighbourhoods are decorated with flags and livery with drummers and trumpeters entertaining visitors. For more details and tickets go to the Giostra Cavalleresca website.

Il Catenaccio

Scanno (Aq), August 14

One of the most beautiful events in Abruzzo, Il Catenaccio (or “Ju Catenacce” in dialect) is a re-enactment of an ancient marriage procession. Locals, dressed in traditional festive costumes, walk the narrow cobbled streets of the medieval village in pairs led by the bride and groom. Now and then, youngsters block their way with a ribbon demanding to be bribed with sweets or coins. The women’s costumes are made exactly the way they were in the 1700s. Luckily, several documents dating back to the 18th century describing the bride’s outfit have survived, which allowed the organisers to recreate it down to a minute detail. The procession finishes in the central square with dances and traditional music. You can see the same re-enactment in May. For the event announcements follow this Facebook page.

Sagra della porchetta

Campli (Te), August 18-23

Put this event on your list of things to do in Abruzzo if are a carnivore! The oldest food festival in the region, la Sagra della porchetta will be celebrating its 48th edition this summer. Every year a dozen or so of porchetta producers gather in Campli to compete for the gold medal. This moist boneless pork roast has been made in Abruzzo for many centuries. For five days the town fills up with divine smells of roasting pork and sounds of music as various bands play Italian pop, rock, indie and Latin American tunes. The best part of the festival? You can become a judge and taste all porchetta for free! The organisers make a call for volunteer judges a few months before the festival, so keep an eye on their website. Please note, when I was writing this post the dates for 2019 hadn’t been announced yet. Please check the exact dates on the website before heading to Campli for the porchetta feast!

photo by pro-loco Campli/Facebook

The featured photo by Carmine Frigione

easter in abruzzo

Easter in Abruzzo: what to see and where to go

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Visiting Abruzzo during the Easter holidays? You are in for a treat! There are so many traditional events taking place all over the region. Religious celebrations start on the Thursday before Easter Sunday. Almost every village has a procession or re-enactment during the Holy Week.  Here is a quick pick of the most interesting Easter events in Abruzzo.

Giovedi Santo in Lanciano

Organised by the local confraternity Morte e Orazione di San Filippo Neri, the procession of Maundy Thursday is solemn and almost hypnotising with its beautiful music written especially for the event in the 19th century. The confraternity members dressed in long black tunics carry flame torches and symbols of the Passion of Christ. The central figure is il Cireneo, who is chosen by the Prior shortly before the ceremony as a reward for his dedication and passion for the brotherhood. Il Cireneo, barefoot, carries the heavy cross in the procession.

The procession starts at the Santa Chiara church at 10pm. You can arrive earlier to see the preparations.

Venerdi Santo in Chieti

You don’t need to be religious to appreciate the atmospheric Good Friday procession in Chieti. The oldest of its kind in Italy, the rite has been taking place in Chieti every year since the 9th century. Local confraternities dressed in hooded tunics walk along the streets of the old town centre carrying various stations of the cross symbols. They are accompanied by 150-members strong orchestra and choir, who play and sing the Miserere.

The procession begins at 7pm at the San Giusto Cathedral. The choir and orchestra start practicing in the morning. There is a shuttle going to the town centre from the free parking space at Chieti Tricalle.

Venerdi Santo in Ortona  

On Good Friday, early risers can see the processions of the stations of the cross symbols, which starts at 5am at the Chiesa del Purgatorio. In the evening at 8pm, another procession departs from the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie. It is lead by a group of 250 women, all in black. In the past, they were mostly widows, who lost their husbands in sea.

For more photos and details see here. 

Easter Saturday in Barrea

For over six decades the picturesque village of Barrea organises a beautiful theatrical revocation of the Passion of Christ. In different locations of the village various scenes are enacted by locals: the Last Supper, the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, betrayal by Judas, the crucifixion. It is fascinating to see biblical characters and centurions on the narrow streets of Barrea.

The event starts at 5.30pm. Get there early to find parking and walk around the village.

For more details see the event’s Facebook page 

The Running Madonna in Sulmona

On Easter Sunday, Sulmona hosts La Madonna Che Scappa in Piazza, the famous revocation of the moment when Mary sees her risen son. The statue of Madonna is carried by the Confraternity of S. Maria di Loreto’s members along the main street. When they arrive to the central Piazza Garibaldi, at midday, they pull the black mourning cape off the Madonna to release 12 white doves and run towards the statue Christ. The run accompanied by the excited applause of the people in the square and music. The event starts with a mass at 9am. It attracts thousands of people, so arrive early.

For more details see the event’s website.

Easter Parade in Orsogna

Orsogna hosts the festival of Talami, a biblical scenes re-enactments, twice a year: on Easter Monday and on Ferragosto (August 15). It is an old tradition connected with a miracle when Virgin Mary appeared in front of a few locals in the Middle Age. The town of Orsogna announces the theme for the scenes and chooses seven best ideas to be re-enacted. Six floats are put on tractors and one, like in old days, is carried by local men.

This year’s celebration, on April 23, will start at 10am with fireworks and continue with the parade and traditional music. For more details see the event’s website.

photo by Talami di Orsogna – Quadri Biblici Viventi/Facebook

Easter Monday Pasquetta

Easter in Abruzzo means big feasts and picnics. On Easter Monday, locals pack picnic baskets and head for parks and picturesque mountain locations to celebrate Pasquetta. Many restaurants offer a Pasquetta menu. The Majella Brewery in Pretoro organises a great picnic on the grounds with live music, street food and their excellent craft beer. Another lively place for Easter Monday is Ristoro Mucciante in Campo Imperatore, where you can buy meat, sausages and arrosticini to grill outdoors.

Featured image by Madonna Che Scappa in Piazza/Facebook