Ortona: Coast, Culture and the Via Verde

Ortona offers a variety of ways to shape your trip: coastal landscapes, sacred history, art and routes with their own distinct character. If you’re looking for a hotel in Ortona, you can plan your stay around what interests you most—nature by the sea, cultural sites or a route that starts or ends in the city.

Coastal landscapes north and south of the city

On Ortona’s northern coast lies the 35-hectare Ripari di Giobbe regional nature reserve. Its landscape includes sea cliffs, including Punta Ferruccio, and beaches with white pebbles. South of the city, near the district of San Donato, the Punta dell’Acquabella regional nature reserve covers 28 hectares. Both areas give the coastline a clear connection to nature, but their locations differ: Ripari di Giobbe is in the north, while Punta dell’Acquabella is in the south near San Donato.

For orientation, it’s worth considering these two stretches of coast as distinct destinations within Ortona. The cliffs and pebble beaches of Ripari di Giobbe give the landscape a distinctive character. Punta dell’Acquabella is defined by its location on the southern coast near the district of San Donato. This makes it easy to plan nature by the sea as a focus in its own right, alongside the city’s cultural sights.

Cathedral, art and history

The Cathedral of San Tommaso has housed the relics of the Apostle Thomas since 1258. They are kept in its crypt, in a gilded copper casket inside a tomb altar. Visits to the Basilica Cattedrale di San Tommaso are only possible during the basilica’s regular opening hours and are suspended during religious services. Check the regular opening hours before your visit.

The Perdono also shapes Ortona’s annual religious calendar: it is celebrated on the first Sunday in May. It is usually preceded by the procession of the keys, which runs from Palazzo Farnese to the cathedral. The palazzo is also connected to the history of Margherita d’Austria: it was built on her behalf; she was the daughter of Emperor Charles V.

The “Basilio e Michele Cascella” art gallery dedicates its third floor to works by three generations of the Cascella family. These include works by Basilio, Gioacchino, Tommaso, Michele and Pietro. Another cultural site is the historic Palazzo Corvo in the Terravecchia district, which houses the Istituto Nazionale Tostiano and its museum. The Francesco Paolo Tosti Archive – Museo Musicale d’Abruzzo was inaugurated on 9 April 1994 to showcase the cultural heritage associated with the composer. Ortona’s Diocesan Museum is also located inside the cathedral, in three large former chapels.

The city’s history also includes the Battle of Ortona, which ended on 28 December 1943 after Canadian patrols reached the area between Piazza San Tommaso and Piazza del Castello. It is considered one of the bloodiest battles of the Italian Campaign and earned Ortona the nickname “Italy’s Little Stalingrad.”

Two routes with different focuses

The Cammino di San Tommaso is a cultural, nature and spiritual route of about 316 kilometres between Rome and Ortona. It can be travelled on foot, by road or mountain bike, or on horseback, and ends at the Cathedral of San Tommaso. The concept focuses on slow, experience-oriented tourism: travellers choose their own pace and stops. The route is therefore suited to people who want to experience the journey itself as part of their trip, not just cover the distance.

The Via Verde della Costa dei Trabocchi follows a different course. It starts at Ortona railway station and follows the former railway line beside the sea to Vasto Marina. The fully rideable section between Ortona and Torino di Sangro passes through three well-lit tunnels and by a mural by Millo. While the Cammino connects Rome with Ortona and ends at the cathedral, the Via Verde runs from Ortona along the coast towards Vasto Marina.

Practical information for your stay

There are several useful reference points when planning your trip on the Via Verde: parking is available at Ortona harbour, and Ortona has a railway station. Bikes can be rented along the route. This information can help you include the route in your travel plans without confusing it with the Cammino di San Tommaso. Choose your focus according to your interests: coastal reserves, art and history, or one of the two routes, which follow different courses.

Discover more destinations: Guilmi, Perano, Fallo, Bomba, San Vito Chietino, Borrello, Marina Di Vasto, Bucchianico.

For the broader travel overview: Chieti.