ECHOES FROM THE PAST

Dig into the history of the Marsica region on this full-day tour of a fascinating archaeological site and a beautifully restored medieval castle.

Your chauffeur will meet you outside your accommodation and drive you to Alba Fucens. Lying at the foot of Mount Velino, immersed in an unspoiled natural setting, the crumbling ruins of this once thriving Roman town today speak volumes about how life was lived in ancient times. It was founded in 303 BC as a military outpost when the Caput Mundi sent 6,000 colonists here to subdue the local Marsi and Equi tribes, traditionally hostile to Rome. During the Imperial Era the settlement prospered thanks to its strategic location along the Via Tiburtina Valeria, an ancient road that connected Rome to the Adriatic Sea. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the Barbarian invasions, Alba Fucens entered a prolonged period of decline which lasted until the 6th century AD when an earthquake struck the area and inevitably led to the town’s collapse. Buried for hundreds of years, Alba Fucens only began to re-emerge from the rubble in 1949.

Though excavation work is far from complete and a large portion of the site remains hidden beneath the ground, what visitors can see and touch here is simply amazing. Ambling along the well planned streets, you can still make out the original urban layout of the ancient town with its residential quarters and public spaces separated by an orderly grid-like pattern of cardi and decumani. The foundations of an age-old marketplace, temples, private homes and a thermal complex attest to Alba Fucens’ former magnificence and offer a priceless glimpse into this once busy, prosperous town. The highlight is definitely the remarkably well-preserved 1st century AD amphitheatre, where the citizens once gathered to watch gladiator duels and venationes, the fights between warriors and wild beasts. Even today excellent acoustics continue to make this venue a popular stage for concerts and theatre shows. Your guide will lead you through the ruins, illuminating the site’s most noteworthy features, and paint a vivid picture of life in ancient times in this delightful and uniquely peaceful corner of Abruzzo.

After some free time for lunch set off for Celano to enjoy a visit to the Piccolomini Castle. This imposing fortress brilliantly blends medieval and Renaissance elements and architectural styles and dominates the valley below, once occupied by the waters of Lake Fucino. First built as a military stronghold in the late 14th century, the castle was enlarged and turned into a splendid residential mansion by Antonio Todeschini Piccolomini, nephew of Pope Pius II, in the second half of the 1400s. Severely damaged by the devastating earthquake of 1915, after a long period of disuse, in 1960 the castle underwent major restoration work and was rebuilt along the original lines using materials recovered on the site.

Since 1992 the Piccolomini Castle has hosted Marsica’s Museum of Sacred Art. Eleven halls display wooden and marble sculptures, paintings, silver religious objects and liturgical vestments narrating the development of arts and crafts in Marsica between the 6th and 18th centuries. An archaeological section features the treasured findings of the Torlonia Collection, consisting of 184 artefacts and 344 bronze coins. These were retrieved from the bed of Lake Fucino when it was drained in the second half of the 1800s. Noteworthy pieces include the 2nd century BC Head of Aphrodite, one of the most refined examples of classical handiwork in Abruzzo, and the 2nd century AD bas-reliefs representing landscape views of Fucino, snapshots of scenes that no longer exist forwarded directly to us by our ancient Roman ancestors. Statuettes, hammering tools, fishing utensils and weapons also provide precious clues to our understanding of life in Marsica hundreds of years ago.

Take a long last look at the wonderful panorama surrounding Castello Piccolomini before returning to your accommodation.