The city of Ovid, the medieval aqueduct and Piazza Garibaldi
In a green valley surrounded by mountains, at the foot of the Morrone and the Majella, Sulmona is one of the most elegant and lively historic towns of Abruzzo, famous throughout the world as the birthplace of the Latin poet Ovid, born here in 43 BC, the author of the "Metamorphoses" and the "Ars Amatoria". In one of his poems, written in exile, he wrote "Sulmo mihi patria est", "Sulmona is my homeland", and the initials SMPE still appear on the coat of arms of the city; a bronze statue of the poet stands in Piazza XX Settembre. Along the Corso Ovidio, the main street, there are noble palaces, churches and the historic shops of confetti, the sugared almonds for which Sulmona is famous.
The heart of the city is the vast Piazza Garibaldi, one of the largest squares in Italy, crossed by a long medieval aqueduct of 1256, built at the time of King Manfred, with 21 pointed arches in stone, which ends in the Renaissance Fontana del Vecchio. Here, twice a week, a lively market is held, and every summer the Giostra Cavalleresca di Sulmona, a spectacular jousting tournament on horseback in Renaissance costume, takes place. Along the Corso stands the Palazzo dell'Annunziata, a splendid complex that combines Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles, with a museum, and at the end of the town the Cathedral of San Panfilo, with a beautiful crypt. In the surroundings are the Abbey of Santo Spirito al Morrone and the hermitage of Celestine V.
Tip: come on market day (Wednesday or Saturday) in Piazza Garibaldi; buy confetti in the historic shops along Corso Ovidio.
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