Sulmona: Culture, Confetti and Hiking Trails

Sulmona brings together medieval water engineering, religious buildings, collections on the city’s history and the confetti tradition. Hiking also offers a range of time commitments: from the roughly twenty-minute walk to the Eremo di Sant'Onofrio to a three-day trek along the Sentiero della Libertà. If you are looking for a hotel in Sulmona, these cultural and landscape-related themes can help you decide what to focus on during your trip.

Water Engineering and Religious Architecture

Sulmona’s Acquedotto Medioevale was built in 1256 during the reign of Manfred of Swabia. It carried water from the Gizio River to irrigate the city’s gardens, power mills and workshops, and supply the city’s fountains. These different uses bring together water supply, work and horticulture in a single structure.

The Complesso della Santissima Annunziata consists of a church and an adjoining palace, bringing together different artistic expressions and historical layers. The church features Baroque forms that emerged from a reconstruction begun in 1710. The history of the Abbazia celestiniana di Santo Spirito a Morrone also dates back to the Middle Ages: it was founded around the middle of the 13th century at the foot of Monte Morrone on the initiative of the future Pope Celestine V.

Museums and the Confetti Tradition

Those interested in religious art can find works from the 12th to the 19th century at the Polo Culturale Civico Diocesano di Santa Chiara – Museo Diocesano di Arte Sacra. These include panel and canvas paintings, stonework, wooden sculptures, goldsmith’s work, codices and textiles. The Polo Museale Civico della Santissima Annunziata – Museo del Costume Popolare Abruzzese e Molisano e della Transumanza offers a different perspective on the region: prints, folk costumes and everyday objects provide insight into local ethnography; many of the objects are associated with sheep farming. The Museo dell’Immagine e delle Tecniche Fotografiche illustrates Sulmona’s history and local traditions from 1840 onward through historical photographs.

The Museo Pelino dell’Arte e della Tecnologia Confettiera offers a closer look at the confetti tradition. The museum displays historical patents from the Pelino factory, awards, sugar wrappers from the 19th and 20th centuries, and artistic compositions made from confetti. It also recreates an 18th-century confectionery workshop with original machines for making and processing confetti. The Confetto di Sulmona consists of a whole peeled almond coated with several layers of sugar. The tradition of making them has ancient origins and has been documented over the centuries.

Hiking Trails and Historical Events

The Eremo di Sant'Onofrio lies 600 metres above sea level on a steep rock face overlooking the Conca Peligna. Pietro Angelerio, the future Pope Celestine V, founded the hermitage in 1293. A footpath leads to the Eremo; the walk is estimated to take about 20 minutes. The Sentiero della Libertà, by contrast, is a hiking route of about 60 kilometres, completed in three stages over three days. It follows the route used by Allied prisoners and young Italians after 8 September 1943 in the struggle to liberate Italy. The two trails therefore involve very different time commitments; check current trail conditions before setting out on the Sentiero.

The modern Giostra Cavalleresca also has a historical connection: riders representing Sulmona’s city districts compete in speed and ring-jousting contests. Dates and programme may change; check both before your trip. Sulmona can be reached by train from Rome and Pescara. Check the current timetable with the rail operator when planning your journey.

Discover more destinations: Mascioni, Campo Di Giove, Tempera, Rocca Di Mezzo, Lucoli Alto, Ofena, San Pio delle Camere, Colle Farelli.

For the overview of the wider area: L-Aquila.