Sulmona is the third largest city in the province of L’Aquila. It is set among the mountains and has a beautiful medieval town center. As the central transportation hub of the province, it is also a good base for getting to know Abruzzo. The main attractions are located around the central Piazza Garibaldi square.
Sulmona travel guide
Useful information
Region: Abruzzo. Province: L’Aquila. Zip code: 67039. Area code: 0864. The tourist office is located in the Palazzo dell’Annunziata, on Corso Ovidio (tel. +39 0864210216). There is a second office on the same street (Corso Ovidio 208, tel. +39086453276).
Public transport: The train station is 2 kilometers from the historic center of the city. For those who do not feel like walking that distance, there is bus line A to the historic center. Sulmona is on the Rome-Pescara line, but not all trains stop in the town. There are bus connections providing direct connections to Pescara and L’Aquila as well to many other towns and villages in the area.
Tourist attractions
Sulmona, apart from its beautiful location among the mountains, has a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions. These cover the entire period of its existence, starting with Roman monuments and ending with a museum dedicated to wedding sweets.
The main square of the city is the Piazza Garibaldi and the main street the Corso Ovidio. The Villa Comunale, at the end of this street, is the biggest public park. The most important church is the Cathedral of San Panfilo.
Other attractions of a religious nature are the Santissima Annunziata Church and the San Filippo Neri Church. The Sant’Onofrio al Morrone convent is situated in the countryside.
The Palazzo dell’Annunziata is the seat of the Museo Civico.
The Piazza XX Settembre has a statue of Ovidio.
Markets
A fruit and vegetable market is held every Wednesday and Saturday in the city’s central square, Piazza Garibaldi.
A brief history of Sulmona
The history of Sulmona begins before Roman times and even has to do with the mythological fall of Troy. According to legend, the city was founded by Solimo, one of Aeneas’ companions.
Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid for short) was born in Sulmona in the year 43 BC. After moving to Rome, he was to become the most important poet of his time, although he was later exiled and eventually died in what is now Romania.
During the Middle Ages, Sulmona was an important trading town.
In 1320, an earthquake caused much damage to the city.
Sulmona’s current prosperity is partly based on the so-called confetti, sugar-coated almonds given to guests at weddings. There is even a museum dedicated to the art of confetti-making. Jewelry is another specialty widely practiced in the city.
Arriving by Car
Sulmona is located on the A25 motorway between Rome and Pescara. The SS17 leads to Pescara.