The villages of Abruzzo are ideal for traveling around in a camper, stopping in car parks, equipped areas and, in the seasons in which they are open, also in campsites. So here you are three itineraries among the villages of Abruzzo: between experiences, authentic encounters and an architectural heritage of great value. Proposals to combine, perhaps, with a ski holiday in Abruzzo.
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From Civitella del Tronto to Santo Stefano di Sessanio
The first itinerary among the villages of Abruzzo in a camper starts from Civitella del Tronto, ideal entrance door to Gran Sasso National Park e Monti della Laga and to RSalinello Gorges regional reserve.
This town rich in art and culture, once an impassable border sentinel of the Kingdom of Naples, preserves medieval and Renaissance buildings with their chiseled portals, overlooking the narrow network of streets in the centre. But it is above all known for the imposing Bourbon fortress, one of the most popular destinations in Abruzzo in terms of number of visitors. It is also believed to be one of the greatest works of military engineering in Europe.
CAMPER PARKING: parking without services in Via Pertini, in front of the Carabinieri station, near the historic center and the escalator.
Castles
It can be reached in just over an hour by road Castles, on the south-eastern slopes of the Gran Sasso d'Italia. It is one of the most famous centers in Italy for the art and craft of ceramics, which have flourished here for over five centuries. To find out more it is worth visiting Castelli Ceramics Museum. It is located in the premises of the former 17th century Franciscan convent; in addition to the reproduction of the ancient workshops, it preserves a series of pieces of incredible refinement dating back to the 16th and 18th centuries.
Castel del Monte
We now delve even further into the environments of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park by camper. The village of Castel del Monte it is defined as "the capital of shepherds". In fact, here the economy linked to transhumance has its roots in Roman times. We are located along the Tratturo Magno which connected the center of L'Aquila to the pastures of Foggiano.
CAMPER STOP Castel del Monte: Parking without services in Via Campo della Fiera, near the sports field and the SS17 bis.
Santo Stefano di Sessanio
Il Tratturo Magno it is the same direction on which it stands Santo Stefano di Sessanio, one of the most renowned historic villages in Abruzzo. Here the presence of a widespread hotel has favored the recovery of the ancient houses in the centre, renovated respecting the original architecture. Completely built in white limestone, from the 13th century it came under the dominion of several noble families.
Among these, the mark left by the Florentine Medici family is indelible, whose emblem is the tower which has become the symbol of the village, which collapsed in the 2009 earthquake and has now been rebuilt. Seeing the villages of Abruzzo in a camper, in cases like this, also means contributing to their economy and their recovery.
CAMPER STOP Santo Stefano di Sessanio: Camper parking point without services in the car park in Via del Cimitero.
The National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise
The heart of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise It brings together some of the most evocative villages of Abruzzo and is one of the most interesting destinations for an itinerary of the villages of Abruzzo in a camper.
The village of Pescasseroli is home to the visitor center of the Abruzzo National Park. From here we proceed towards Opi, which probably owes its name to oppidum, fortified castle. This ancient village located at 1.250 meters above sea level surprises with its panoramic position and its medieval structure which has been preserved almost intact.
PESCASSEROLI CAMPER STOP:
- Camping Sant'Andrea, Via San Donato; tel. 335 5956029. In low season open on weekends, advance notice recommended.
- Camping La Panoramica, Viale Fausto Grassi; tel. 0863 910750, 338 9449340. Open all year (notice required in low season). Halfway between the ski lifts and the town of Pescasseroli.
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Villetta Barre, Civitella Alfedena and Barrea
Not far away, the towns of Villetta Barrea, Civitella Alfedena and Barrea gravitate around the artificial lake created following the damming of the Sangro river. Each of them is worth a visit for the views and well-preserved architecture, but also because they represent a starting point to set out to discover the fauna and floral wonders of the park.
Scanno
From Barrea you cross the Godi Pass following the Regional Road 479 and descend to the town of Scanno. The town is one of the most beautiful villages in Abruzzo to visit by camper. It has been immortalized by great masters of photography such as Henry Cartier-Bresson, Gianni Berengo Gardin, Ferdinando Scianna and Mario Giacomelli, just to name a few. The images of women in the traditional black dress and of everyday moments of life framed by the scenes of arches and alleys have traveled around the world, together with the waters of its heart-shaped lake.
CAMPER PARK SCANNO: Rest point without services along the SR 479, on the lake, in front of a hotel.
The Maiella National Park
At the foot of the Mother Mountain, where everything invites you to immerse yourself in a nature full of spirituality, even the villages have a particular charm.
Caramanico Terme
Caramanico Terme is considered the capital of Maiella National Park. From the center it only takes a few minutes on foot to join the paths that follow the Orfento gorges or to climb to high altitude among the silences of Celestine hermitages and the pastures of the large agro-pastoral complexes. Of Lombard origin, the town retains its medieval layout made up of the remains of house-walls, ancient doors and suggestive tangles of alleys, which is enriched with some imposing stately palaces built in the Renaissance era.
CAMPER STOP CARAMANICO TERME:
- Equipped area in Via della Libertà, at the entrance to the town, equipped with water, electricity and well. Open from April to November.
- Agricamping from Rondinella, Contrada San Nicolao, tel. 085 922251, 334 3305397. Welcoming structure open all year round; it is essential to contact the owners in advance to check accessibility, especially in case of snow.
Read also: On the snow of the Maiella Apennines
Roccacaramanico
From here you can reach it in less than half an hour Roccacaramanico, a hamlet of the municipality of Sant'Eufemia a Maiella. It is a small medieval village made up of stone houses perched on the mountain where you can really breathe an atmosphere of times gone by. For campers it is best to leave the vehicle in Sant'Eufemia a Maiella and arrive on foot via an easy path.
Pescocostanzo
Among the most renowned villages in the region, a place of honor goes to Pescocostanzo, among the highest municipalities in Italy. It is in fact located at around 1.400 meters above sea level. Together with the nearby towns of Rivisondoli and Roccaraso, the town stands at the center of a system of karst plateaus known as the Altipiani Maggiori d'Abruzzo.
Following an earthquake that struck the area in 1456, the village was entirely rebuilt by Lombard workers who later settled in the area, creating a large community. Their arrival had such a cultural influence that the baptism ceremonies celebrated in basilica of Santa Maria del Colle they still follow the Ambrosian rite today.
Its well-preserved medieval structure preserves, in addition to a valuable Renaissance and Baroque architectural heritage, a profound culture linked to artistic craftsmanship which has always characterized its social and economic fabric. Tombolo, wrought iron and goldsmithery are the cornerstones of this artisan production that has made the town famous throughout the world.
PESCOCOSTANZO CAMPER STOP: Giuliana Agricultural Company, Contrada Pedicagna, tel. 0864 641127, 333 2111225.
CAMPER PARK ROCCARASO:
- Stop point without services in Viale dello Sport, in the Palaghiaggio car park.
- Paid parking point in Piazza Aremogna.
- Equipped area at the Park Hotel Il Poggio.
Pacentro
You cannot say you know the villages of Abruzzo in a camper without visiting Pacentro, perched on the slopes of the Morrone mountains guarding the Peligna Valley. A curiosity: the family of Louise Veronica Ciccone, aka Madonna, descends from here. The medieval core of the village is characterized by numerous historic buildings of high value such as the imposing Caldora-Cantelmo castle from the 11th century, one of the best preserved fortified structures in Abruzzo. Also worth seeing is the ancient and imposing parish church of Santa Maria Maggiore with the very high bell tower and the wonderful eighteenth-century pulpit.
CAMPER PARKING PACENTRO: Stop point without services in Via Francesco Buccitelli.
The villages of Abruzzo in the cinema
The historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the Abruzzo villages has frequently been the set for major film and television productions. This is the case of the film The American directed by Anton Corbijn and released in 2010, with the participation of George Clooney, Violante Placido, Paolo Bonacelli and Filippo Timi.
The Italian scenes of the film were shot between Castel del Monte, Pacentro, Castelvecchio Calvisio and Sulmona. The television miniseries is from 2019 The Name of the Rose based on the novel by Umberto Eco which stars John Turturro, Rupert Everett, Fabrizio Bentivoglio and Alessio Boni. Many scenes were filmed in Abruzzo between the gorges of Fara San Martino, Roccamorice and Roccascalegna.
Roccascalegna, together with its castle which seems suspended between heaven and earth, was also immortalized by the director Matteo Garrone in the film It racconto dei racconti released in the 2015.
The villages of Abruzzo in the art of Escher
Impossible realities, perspective paradoxes, geometric shapes that break down to regenerate under new guises. The work of Mauritius Cornelius Escher it is a surprising mix of mathematical rigor and creativity. The artistic path of the Dutch engraver and graphic designer, at least in its initial phase, is linked to Italy and in particular to the landscapes of the central-southern Apennines: among his lithographs numerous works dedicated to Abruzzo villages stand out, one of which is Castrovalva .
