From Francavilla, taking a pleasant drive inland we can discover the
city of Chieti, from where we can let our gaze run over the two
mountains of Majella and Gran Sasso and the gentle slopes that move down towards the sea, rich with vineyards and olive groves. The ruins of the Roman Teate
can be seen from several vantage points throughout the city: of
particular interest are the Roman Theatre, a templar complex known as
the “Roman Tempietti” and a cistern from the ancient thermal baths. At
the National Museum of Archaeology, in the neoclassical Villa Frigerj, we can find on display: the Warrior of Capestrano, the stele of Penna Sant’Andrea, and sarcophagi and the sculptures from Alba Fucens. The cathedral of San Giustino dominates the city’s panorama and the churches of San Pietro and San Giovanni dei Cappuccini date back to the 16th century.
The Teatino calendar is filled with exhibitions and events that
every year continue to provide testimony to the profound values of the
people of Abruzzo. Among the events, which are prevalently religious
and cultural in nature, the musical manifestations are of particular
interest, as tied to Marrucino Lirical Teathre: the “aperitif concerts”
open to talented youth from throughout the territory, theatrical and
musical laboratories, but above all the celebrated “Mozart Week” which,
each year at the beginning of July, transforms the city into a music
box of minuets and lace with a Viennese flavour. Heading inland, we
encounter small villages that conceal captivating mysteries, as is the
case of Rapino, which is in the vicinity of the Grotta del Colle,
where sacred rituals were practiced as far back as prehistoric times.
And then there is Pretoro, where each year, on the first Sunday of May,
an antique legend linked to the miracle of San Domenico and the wolf is relived.
The line between past and present, tradition and progress, continues
without interruption towards Fara Filiorum Petri, which dominates the
Valle del Foro, and where a historic tradition, the Festival of the
Farchie
(large bunches of reeds tied together with willow branches), linked to
the cult of Sant’Antonio, takes place. Finally there is Guardiagrele,
where a walk among art and culture is interrupted with delicacies of
the area’s antique pastry-making tradition, such as the famous
sise delle monache (cream-filled pastry puffs, known for their triple peak, mountain-like shapes). Not too far away we will come upon
Fara San Martino, one of the world capitals of pasta.
