Discover Santa Maria

There are two distinct perspectives to consider when planning a trip to Santa Maria: the history of the church of Santa Maria a Porto Lungo and the Bascialonga route to the Castel Cerreto Nature Reserve. If you are looking for a hotel in Santa Maria, these points of interest can guide your travel plans. You can shape your stay around cultural history or the connection between the historic centre and the surrounding landscape.

Church and archaeological traces

The church of Santa Maria a Porto Lungo stands on a hill in the hamlet of Santa Maria in Basciano. It was built in the 14th century in the Romanesque style on the site of an ancient pagan temple and is also known as the “fuori le mura” church. The church’s construction and its connection to an older temple are thus part of the area’s history.

A 14th-century coin was found beneath the old flooring. It is considered the only surviving trace of the church’s past. The coin find provides a specific chronological reference point, while the connection to the ancient temple relates to a different historical layer. This makes it possible to distinguish the medieval building from its links to the older temple.

A prehistoric tomb dating to protohistory was also found in Santa Maria. This discovery adds an archaeological find to the area’s historical points of interest. Together with the church, it offers a glimpse of different historical subjects: the building and its history on the one hand, and a tomb discovered in Santa Maria on the other.

Bascialonga and the landscape

After leaving Basciano’s historic centre, the Bascialonga leads to the church of Santa Maria a Porto Lungo. The 2025 edition covered ten kilometres. From the church, the route passes through fields and side roads into the Castel Cerreto Nature Reserve. The protected area is a green landscape with diverse flora and fauna.

The route’s sequence brings together different travel interests: it begins in the historic centre and at the church, then continues through the landscape towards the nature reserve. If you want to understand Santa Maria through more than the church’s history, this route offers a tangible connection to the surrounding area. The walk to the church and the continuation through fields and side roads are the two sections that make the transition from the town centre to the natural landscape easy to grasp.

The wider landscape around Basciano also offers another perspective: the town is set in a scenic location overlooking the Gran Sasso and the Vomano Valley. This panorama adds a second perspective on the surrounding area to the specific Bascialonga route. The views from Basciano and the route towards Castel Cerreto thus represent different ways of experiencing the landscape.

Bascialonga 2025 and regional specialities

The tasting stations at the 2025 Bascialonga offered typical Abruzzo specialities as well as Montonico wine. These culinary details relate to the 2025 edition; offerings may vary from one edition to another. This distinguishes the route details from that year from the culinary side of the same event, without implying that either is a permanent offering.

The timing is important for your travel plans: the ten-kilometre distance and the listed tasting offerings relate to the 2025 edition. If the Bascialonga is an important part of your stay, check whether an edition takes place during your travel dates and when. The church, its construction history and the archaeological finds mentioned above also form a distinct cultural and historical focus.

You can therefore choose where to stay based on the aspects of Santa Maria that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Mosciano Sant'angelo, Ancarano, Sant'egidio Alla Vibrata, Montone, Giulianova, Isola del Gran Sasso D'italia, Case Alte, Castagneto.

For the full travel overview: Teramo.