08/02/2026
1 week ago, our AEGEEAN spirit took us to L'Aquila, the capital city of Abruzzo region and the Italian Capital of Culture 2026!
1) The tour began in the central Piazza del Duomo: a visit to the Church of the Holy Souls, the finest example of 18th-century religious architecture in L'Aquila, and the Basilica of San Bernardino.
2) A coffee break, followed by a visit to the Spanish Castle and the National Museum of Abruzzo, which houses a mammoth, paintings, and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the present day.
3) Lunch at one of the oldest Trattoria restuarants in the city: an unmissable menu featuring roast beef, arrosticini, and w**e!
4) We strolled through the streets of the city center and, after a series of ups and downs, reached the Fountain of the 99 Cannelle: a 13th-century fountain, the symbol of the city, where water flows from the mouths of 99 sculpted heads (we can't confirm this because we're not very good in counting ).
5) Last stop: Basilica of Collemaggio! Built in 1289, this masterpiece of Abruzzo Romanesque architecture is the tomb of Pope Celestine V. Every year at the end of August, it hosts the Celestine Jubilee, the first in the history of Christianity and the longest one (lasting over 700 years!)
