Villalago, Hermitage of San Domenico.
2026
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Abruzzo, Italy. Spectacular landscapes
Abruzzo is an Italian region located east of Rome, between the Adriatic and the Apennines. The hinterland is mostly made up of national parks and nature reserves. The region also includes medieval and Renaissance villages perched on the hills. The regional capital, L'Aquila, is a city surrounded by walls, damaged by the earthquake of 2009. The Costa dei Trabocchi, with its sandy coves, takes its name from the traditional fishing jetties.
2023
Stiffe Caves, Abruzzo, Italy
The Stiffe caves are a complex of karst caves located near Stiffe, in the territory of the municipality of San Demetrio ne' Vestini (AQ), in Abruzzo, included within the Sirente-Velino regional natural park. Testimony of a unique active resurgence in Italy, made accessible to the public since 1991, today they constitute one of the main naturalistic sites of the L'Aquila area, recording over 40,000 visitors annually. The Stiffe caves represent one of the best-known karst phenomena in central Italy. The complex has been used since the Bronze Age even if archaeological remains have been found inside it dating back to the Neolithic and Eneolithic. The presence of an underground stream that gave rise to the complex led, in 1907 and on the initiative of the Marquis Alfonso Cappelli, to the construction of a hydroelectric plant of which some remains are still visible today near the entrance to the cavities. In 1956, when the plant was dismantled, the first speleological explorations began; after a first visit in 1957, the following year it was the Marche Speleological Group of Ancona that went beyond the first natural siphon. Subsequently, the Roman Speleological Group and, starting from the eighties, the Aquilano Speleological Group continued the first exploration attempts. The speleological excursions were then followed by a process of valorisation of the site which led to the opening of the complex to the public in 1991. In 1994 a mixed group of speleologists from L'Aquila and France managed to access for the first time the unexplored area after the first waterfall while in 1996 the speleology museum named after Vincenzo Rivera was opened. A second extension of the tourist route, up to the current length of about 700 m, was made in 2007 with the opening of the second waterfall to visitors, while the extension of the explored part of the cavity exceeds one kilometre. From 1996 to 2018 the site was managed by the public-private company Progetto Stiffe S.p.A. while it is currently managed directly by the Municipality of San Demetrio ne' Vestini. The 2009 earthquake led to a closure of the caves for safety reasons; the complex was only reopened to the public in 2011.
2021
Rio Verde waterfalls
Borrello, Chieti, Abruzzo. The Regional Nature Reserve and the WWF OASIS Cascate del Verde. It is a protected natural area of Abruzzo, established in 2001, which covers an area of approximately 287 hectares.
2022
Abruzzo, Italy. Spectacular landscapes
2024
Celano. Church of St. John the Baptist
Begun in the 13th century, it was completed in the 15th century. The rose window has the head of the Baptist in the center. The three internal naves are divided by octagonal pillars
2017
Abruzzo - Gran Sasso of Italy
The Gran Sasso (or Gran Sasso d'Italia) is the highest mountain massif of the continental Apennines, located in the central Apennines, entirely in Abruzzo, as part of the easternmost ridge of the Abruzzo Apennines, on the border between the provinces of L ' Aquila, Teramo and Pescara. It borders to the north with the territories of Fano Adriano, Pietracamela, Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia, Castelli and Arsita, to the east with the Gorges of Popoli, to the south-west directly with the plain of Assergi, further downstream with L'Aquila , to the south it is limited by Campo Imperatore and downstream by the Piana di Navelli, while to the west-north-west it borders the chain of the Monti della Laga and Lake Campotosto, separated from them by the upper Vomano Valley and the state road 80 of the Gran Sasso d'Italia that crosses it. The Gran Sasso d'Italia is a protected environmental area with the establishment of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. It includes the Gran Sasso mountain community and the Campo Imperatore-Piana di Navelli mountain community.
2018
L'Aquila - Basilica of S. M. di Collemaggio
The basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio is a religious building in L'Aquila, located just outside the city walls, on the hill of the same name. Founded in 1288 at the behest of Pietro da Morrone - crowned pope here with the name of Celestino V on 29 August 1294 - it is considered the highest expression of Abruzzo architecture, as well as the symbol of the city and was declared a national monument in 1902. Since 1327 houses the remains of the pontiff, currently preserved inside the mausoleum of Celestino V, built in 1517 by Girolamo da Vicenza, master of Andrea Palladio. It is the seat of an annual jubilee, the first in history, established with the Bull of Forgiveness of 29 September 1294 and known as Perdonanza Celestiniana; therefore, it is characterized by the presence of a Holy Door on the side facade. The church, which boasts the title of minor basilica together with the fellow citizens San Bernardino and San Giuseppe Artigiano, has been remodeled several times over the centuries mainly due to the damage caused by frequent earthquakes and presents a mixture of different architectural styles. Following the 2009 earthquake, it was subjected to consolidation and restoration works which ended in 2017.
2023
Scanno. The Church of San Rocco
The Church of San Rocco, known as the Madonna del Carmine is located in Scanno. It is also called the Madonna del Carmine, because since 1784 it has been the seat of a confraternity of the same name
2024
Morro D’Oro. The church of S. Maria di Propezzano
The church of Santa Maria di Propezzano is a Romanesque-style Catholic place of worship in Abruzzo located in the Vomano valley, in the municipality of Morro d'Oro, in the province of Teramo.