The medieval village of Scanno is located on a hilltop just over a kilometer high. Thanks to its steep stairs and beautiful old houses made of gray stone, it is one of the biggest attractions in the Abruzzo region, especially in the summer.
Scanno travel guide
Useful information
Region: Abruzzo. Province: L’Aquila. ZIP code: 67038. Area code: 0864. The tourist office of Scanno is located at Piazza Santa Maria della Valle, 12 (tel. +39 086474317).
Public transportation: From Sulmona there are ARPA buses providing a connection to Scanno. The travel time is approximately 1 hour. From Rome (Stazione Tiburtina), Autolinee Schiappa provides a – not very frequent – service to the city (travel time about 2 ½ hours).
On the way to Scanno from Sulmona, it is recommended to get a window seat, as one passes by the rocky Gole di Sagittario and the picturesque Lago di Scanno.
What to see and do in Scanno
One of the main attractions is the Piazza Santa Maria della Valle, on which the church of the same name is located. The Renaissance church of the same name is graced by marble and wood decorations. A highlight is the permanently displayed nativity scene inside this church.
Continuing into the center one comes to the Purgatorio Church, the Saracco Fountain and the Santa Maria di Costantinopoli Church.
The Saracco Fountain is decorated with four masks, each equipped with a spout. It is claimed that in the past one’s social status determined which spout you were allowed to drink from.
At the very top of the hill is the Sant’Eustachio Church. The Madonna del Lago Church faces the lake.
The Wool Museum (“Museo della Lana”) showcases the traditional clothes, many of the elderly inhabitants of Scanno still wear, including the heavy (up to kilos) dresses.
Attactions outside the center are the Sant’Egidio Hermitage and the Chiesetta degli Alpini. For the latter, you will need a chairlift. The path that leads to the hermitage is known as the Sentiero del Cuore.
The ghost village of Frattura Vecchia offers beautiful views of the lake. The San Nicola Church is one of few buildings that have survived the earthquakes that destroyed most of Frattura.
The Baroque facade of the Palazzo Mosca faces the Piazza San Rocco. The cornice is decorated with cherubs and dancing seraphim. The palace was constructed by a wealthy notary called Donato Teopista. It is however named after a later owner.
The Palazzo Di Rienzo used to be the seat of the University of Scanno. Its present neoclassical appearance is the result of 19th century renovations by Francesco Di Rienzo. The facade, through the placement of the wooden entrance, the balcony, the portholes and the window, is suppoded to resemb;e a human face. The interior still holds many of the original 19th century furnishings.
The Baroque Palazzo de Angelis is named after the baronial family that used to live there. The coat of arms of this family still decorates the entrance.
Other historical buildings are the Casa Antonio Silla, (Via Calata Sarracco), the Palazzo Serafini-Ciancarelli (Piazza San Giovanni), the Casa Tanturri (Via De Angelis) and the Palazzetto Nardillo (Via Porta Sant’Antonio).
A brief history of Scanno
Although the name of the town only appears for the first time in a document from the 11th century, it is known that there was human life in the area much earlier. Remains from the Iron Age as well as Roman times have been found. From the Middle Ages on, the town was owned by several feudal lords, the most important ones being the Di Sangro and the D’Aquino.
It is almost certain that the area where Scanno is located has been inhabited since prehistoric times. One knows this thanks to objects found in an Iron Age burial place. Also coins, milestones and tombs from the Roman period have been found.
The name of the city comes from the Latin Scamnum and refers to a border between several so-called centuria. (A centuria was a piece of land into which the Romans divided the region).
Scanno is first mentioned by this name in a document from 1067. The document declares that the town becomes property of the County of Di Sangro.
In the 15th century the D’Aquino took over the feudal lordship and they remained in power until the end of the 16th century.
Later owners are successively the Albrizio, the D’Afflitto and the Caracciolo.
Curiosities
Scanno is still one of the few towns in Italy where women wear the traditional long black woolen dress with an upper part with wide sleeves, and a square fez to which two braids are attached.
Over the years Scanno has been an important center for wool production and jewelry making.
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