San Clemente a Casauria

History

Founded in 871 by Emperor Louis II, great-grandson of Charlemagne, to fulfil a vow made during his imprisonment in Benevento, it received the relics of Pope St Clement the following year. Sacked by the Saracens around 920 and destroyed in 1076 by the Norman Hugh Malmozzetto, it was rebuilt by abbots Grimoald and above all Leonate, who in the twelfth century gave it the portico and the bronze portal with 72 panels that make it an absolute masterpiece of Abruzzo Romanesque. Wounded by the earthquakes of 1349, 1456 and 2009, it is today a state monument with an adjoining Antiquarium.

Visiting

What to see

Benedictine abbey from 871, one of the oldest documented monasteries in Abruzzo. Romanesque masterpiece with stunning facade and geometric decorations. Medieval cloister. Crypt with archaeological remains. Intricate marble carvings and liturgical elements.

Surroundings

Pescara valley. Abruzzese countryside with olive and grape cultivation. Medieval villages (Civitella, Castiglione). Arrosticini skewers, cheeses, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine. Coastal access to Adriatic.

Visitor information

Closed Mondays; Tue and Sat 9am-7:30pm, Wed-Fri 9am-1:30pm, Sundays according to the seasonal calendar.

Contacts

+39 085 8885162 · museiabruzzo.cultura.gov.it · drm-abr.sanclemente@cultura.gov.it

Hospitality and where to sleep

No guesthouse

No guesthouse. B&Bs in Castiglione a Casauria. Farm stays in surrounding valleys. Pescara accommodations (20 km).

Beds and prices

No hospitality at the abbey, which is a museum site. For the night: B&Bs and simple hotels in Torre de' Passeri, Castiglione a Casauria and Popoli (gateway to the Park), budget range.

Services

Essential services: ticket office with card payments and a conference room; for water, bars and food shops it is best to stop in Torre de' Passeri or Castiglione a Casauria. Its position along the ancient Via Claudio-Valeria makes it a natural stop between the Pescara valley and the Maiella climbs.

Places to stay nearby (within 15 km)

No places listed within 15 km yet: the overnight network is a work in progress.

Getting there by bike

An easy arrival: the abbey stands on the floor of the Pescara valley near Castiglione a Casauria, about 3 km from Torre de' Passeri station, reached on asphalted valley roads with modest gradients, a rare thing in this part of Abruzzo. Bikes can be parked in the entrance forecourt. Ticket: full 5 €, reduced 2 €. Closed Mondays; Tuesdays and Saturdays long hours 9am-7:30pm, Wednesday-Friday 9am-1:30pm, Sundays with seasonal openings, in winter only some in the month.

The Pescara valley floor gives modest grades, rare on this stretch of Abruzzo. Torre de' Passeri station is close, a handy plan B in case of tiredness or weather. The carved portal is worth the stop regardless, even just to look at it.

Bike can be parked in the entrance square. For water, bars and groceries, better to stop in Torre de' Passeri or Castiglione a Casauria.

Map and stages