Discover Collepietro: Churches, Tratturi and Panoramic Views

Collepietro overlooking the Valle dell’Aterno

Collepietro is situated on a scenic hill overlooking the Valle dell’Aterno. The Belvedere di Collepietro offers views of the surrounding valleys and Gran Sasso. La Torre offers a panorama stretching from Gran Sasso to the Maiella.

Churches, gates and medieval traces

The Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista was built around the year 1000 and renovated in 1539 in the late medieval style. It has two matching side towers, a Baroque façade, a Romanesque-style portal and an interior with three naves.

La Torre di Collepietro is the only significant surviving remnant of Collepietro’s medieval castle. In the past, it controlled traffic along the Tratturo Magno, the most important transhumance route.

Porta Maiella is one of the historic entrances to the village of Collepietro. Porta Gran Sasso is one of the main entrances to the village and faces the Gran Sasso massif.

The Chiesa della Madonna del Buon Consiglio is an example of architecture connected with the lives of shepherds and travellers along the Tratturo Magno. Sidera Tredecim Collis Petri is a contemporary art installation in Collepietro.

Tratturi and stages through the landscape

Hiking trails in the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga run in sections along the Tratturo Magno L’Aquila–Foggia and the Tratturo Centurelle-Montesecco and pass through Collepietro.

Stage 5bis of the Cammino della Pace leads uphill from Navelli to the fortified village of Collepietro. Near the Chiesa della Madonna del Buon Consiglio, this stage rejoins the Tratturo Centurelle-Montesecco.

The Zafferano stage of the Ippovia Gran Sasso reaches Collepietro via circular tratturi at the two locations known as Porta Gran Sasso and Porta Maiella.

The Regio Tratturo from Collepietro to Navelli is a hiking trail. It begins near the Chiesa della Madonna del Buon Consiglio in Collepietro and runs along the ridge of the Serra di Navelli.

Local cuisine and festivals

Traditional dishes from Collepietro include foods made with lentils, chickpeas and beans, which are particularly suitable for soups and stews. Local specialities also include polenta and various types of pasta made with excellent flour from the immediate surrounding area, including flour from Solina wheat.

The Festa dell’Emigrante includes a two-day sagra for tasting traditional local products. As part of the Festa e Sagra dell’Emigrante, the Palio delle Botti is organised as the fourth edition of a historical reenactment of an old test of strength and skill; oral tradition associates it with the end of the grape harvest.

More destinations

For more destinations to help plan your own trip, you can also explore Calascio, Tempera, Villetta Barrea, Stiffe, Campotosto, Lucoli Alto, Pescocostanzo and Bagno.

Back to the main travel overview: L-Aquila.