Attractions and Places To See around Atessa - Top 20

Suggestive war cemetery, where the fallen English allies (Commonwealth) have their deserved rest.

Convent of S.Maria degli Angeli (S.Pasquale) in Vallaspra di Atessa (CH) In the name Vallaspra, Valle-aspra, one can sense the peculiarity of a wild and fruitless nature, but also the sedimentation of a troubled historical and religious with long periods of splendor and apostolate. The history of the Vallaspra convent is linked to the Franciscan spirit and the incessant work of evangelization of the observant Friars Minor. Way back in 1408, Tommaso da Firenze, lay friar and secretary of Father Nicola da Osimo, commissioner of the province of Sant'Angelo in Puglia, stopped his wanderings in the Frenta area, in front of an ancient Cona depicting the Madonna of Sorrows with the Dead Christ and on the sides Saint John and Saint Francis on the right, Mary Magdalene and Saint Anthony of Padua on the left, venerated in a barren and wild place, precisely Vallassero di Atessa. Conquered by the evocative sacredness of the place and the profound meaning of this Pietà, Frà Tommaso began the construction of the first nucleus of the convent, which was completed and inaugurated just ten years later, in 1430. The convent of Vallaspra dedicated by Frà Tommaso to Santa Maria degli Angeli , not only in the dedication, but above all in the architectural structures, preserves the cleanliness of the Franciscan forms. The church, with a central nave and a side one, was enriched, in the early 1700s, with a chapel dedicated to San Pasquale Baylon (Spanish), a lay Franciscan, canonized in 1860, in honor of the Contestabile Colonna; the latter changed the title of the convent and San Pasquale simply, rather than Vallaspra, indicates the locality and the monastic complex. Over the centuries the structure was a woolen mill (the Franciscan habit was produced there); operating for more than a century and closed in 1675, it was linked to the intense period of traffic along the herd arteries. Over the years, the Convent of S.Pasquale became an important center of theological studies. Today, the Convent transmits a strong sense of belonging, of religious, spiritual and cultural identity; characteristics, the latter, which make it a solid, safe reference center, as well as a pole of aggregation, prayer and apostolate.

The forest is made up of a series of progressively decreasing river terraces. The first is the one on which the farmhouse stands and is the one where forests have been deforested to make room for crops, it is also the largest and covers the entire Sinello valley. The second, at a difference in altitude of about 7 metres, is the one that hosts the current residual forest. In winter and spring it is often flooded and puddles form, while in the hottest months of the year the ground is completely dry. The next terrace is the one where the Sinello, when in flood, flows and hosts very heterogeneous vegetation. One meter below is the last terrace made up of the river bed made up of limestone and gravel. The climate of the forest is Mediterranean, the average temperature throughout the year is 16°, while the average temperature in July is 25° and in January 6°. The most important tree species are present on the second terrace and are the Cerro, the English oak, the white hornbeam and the ash. There are specimens of trees that reach 25 meters in height. Inside the forest and also in the part of the river that passes through it, a delicate ecosystem survives, in the waters of the Sinello we can find Brasche, Buttercups, Water Celery, Watercress. There are submerged colonies of vegetation that give the waters their characteristic blue-green colour. The fauna of the area is represented by the various migratory birds frequent in the temperate coastal areas, by foxes and badgers, as well as moles and hedgehogs.

Pollutri can boast the presence, in its territory, of the Don Venanzio forest: a delicate and precious, as well as rare, example of a plain forest, towards which scientists and ecologists have turned their attention, in fact the Don Venanzio forest is one of the last strips of lowland forest on the Adriatic coast. Unfortunately what we can see today is nothing more than what remains of a much larger and more extensive forest near the Sinello river. The Forest card Location: 1 km from the exit Vast North of the A14 Extent: approximately 78 ha Height: 30 m above sea level Owner: Municipality of Pollutri Reserve since: 29/11/1999 LR 128 Structure: Tall forest, spread over a series of river terraces. Vegetation: White poplar, Black poplar, Downy oak, Turkey oak, Ash, White hornbeam and English oak. Shrubs: Dogwood, Ivy, Pendulum sedge, Cornioo, Undergrowth: Apennine anemone, Butcher's broom, Red lily and others. Entrance to the site is free, on request it is possible to take a guided tour. Info: 0872/50357 – 338/5728304 There.

The reserve is always open, while the restaurant and bar respect closing days and periods.

Monastic complex located in Atessa. The style is Renaissance/Baroque and its origins date back to the 15th century. the convent is entirely made of stone and there is a nursery in its garden.

Abruzzo is a continuous discovery and the wines of Cantina Frentana are the perfect photograph of this region. There is only to choose!

Cantina Frentana is a cooperative society in which 500 winegrowers participate, mainly small family businesses, who cultivate about 1000 hectares of vineyards on the Frentana hills: a strip of territory that extends between the last slopes of the Majella and the magnificent Costa dei Trabocchi, in the south of Abruzzo. A land of vineyards and olive groves, crossed by streams that flow between wooded valleys. The generous calcareous soil, the gentle alternation of sea and land breezes, the mitigating action of the sea enhance the vocation of this area for high quality viticulture, focused almost entirely on native vines. A vocation listened to and picked up by expert winemakers, aware that the quality of the wine depends above all on the quality of the fruit. It is also the ideal point to recharge your e-Bike and earn points with DINAclub. Find out how on dinaclub.repower.com