COASTAL TALES

Meet your private guide and driver at your accommodation and relax on the ride to San Giovanni in Venere, one of Abruzzo’s best-preserved Cistercian abbeys and most cherished religious sites.

The monastic complex stands in a splendid panoramic position, on a promontory overlooking the so-called Trabocchi Coast, owing to the characteristic trabocchi fishing machines scattered along the shore. The views to be admired from here of the cobalt-blue Adriatic Sea are simply stunning and may well be the very reason why first the ancient Romans and later Christian communities decided to erect their places of worship on this spot. Indeed the abbey was built in the 12th and 13th centuries over an earlier 6th century chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist which in turn was constructed over an ancient Roman temple believed to have been dedicated to the goddess Venus.

Your guide will show you round the church and cloister, while filling you in on the history of the abbey and pointing out its most noteworthy features. You will access the bare, austere interior through the beautifully carved Portal of the Moon, flanked by marble friezes featuring scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist. The church is divided into three naves by twelve pillars surmounted by round and Gothic arches and topped by a roof of wooden beams. Beneath the raised presbytery is a crypt decorated with precious 13th century frescoes and supported by ancient columns which probably once belonged to the long-lost Temple of Venus.

After the visit you will reach the coast where you will have the opportunity to dine on a traditional wooden trabocco platform, now reconverted into a restaurant, suspended over the limpid waters of the Adriatic Sea. These fishing machines have been in use here since the 15th century and consist of slender structures made of beams, resting on rudimentary poles that dig into the bottom of the sea or into the rock, and connect to the shore by way of a rickety-looking boardwalk. From the platforms fishermen use long arms called antenne and winches to lower large, fine-knit fishnets into the sea, following a technique that allows them to catch the shoals of fish swimming in the waters below.

After lunch set off for the popular summer resort of Ortona. Although the town was almost completely destroyed by bombing during World War II, it still preserves a remarkable artistic heritage, evidence of its glorious past as Abruzzo’s most important port town. Guests may enjoy a leisurely stroll through the historic centre and along the promenade named Passeggiata Orientale that links the old town to the 15th century Aragonese Castle, pausing along the way to admire Ortona’s best-loved landmarks. Not to be missed are the Palazzo Farnese, built between the 16th and 18th centuries at the request of Duchess Margherita of Austria, and the Cathedral of Saint Thomas where the earthly remains of the apostle have been jealously safeguarded for over seven hundred years.

Take a long last look at the wonderful seascapes before riding in comfort back to your accommodation.