Teramo: Prati di Tivo, slopes and Gran Sasso culture

Prati di Tivo is a mountain resort at an altitude of 1,450 metres at the foot of Corno Piccolo in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park and belongs to the municipality of Pietracamela. The ski lifts provide access to 20 kilometres of downhill slopes and a cross-country ski trail. The main access road to Prati di Tivo is the SS 80, which connects Teramo or Montorio al Vomano with the junction for Pietracamela–Prati di Tivo.

Mountain and winter

In summer, Prati di Tivo offers opportunities for hiking and mountaineering, as well as routes for ski touring and off-piste skiing. The Sentiero del Tordino additionally connects small settlements with paths leading to Monte Bilanciere. These routes can be travelled on foot, partly on horseback, and by mountain bike. The Ippovia del Gran Sasso covers a significantly larger area: the 470-kilometre-long riding route follows old mule tracks, roads and paths and passes through villages, pastures, and beech and Turkey oak forests.

Paths and landscape

The Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park is a protected landscape where nature and a significant cultural heritage are interwoven. Monte Bilanciere is considered a viewpoint offering panoramic views across the entire valley. The park also contains the Distretto Tra i Due Regni in the province of Teramo, with the municipalities of Campli, Civitella Del Tronto, Torricella Sicura and Valle Castellana. The starting point is San Giacomo, and the route can be travelled by bicycle.

The Parco fluviale del Tordino e del Vezzola extends along both banks of the Tordino and Vezzola rivers and is suitable for walking and outdoor sports. A cycle path in the park leads to the necropolis and temple of Ponte Messato. For longer cycling tours, the 131-kilometre Bike To Coast Abruzzo cycle path runs from Martinsicuro in the province of Teramo, at the border with the province of Ascoli Piceno, to San Salvo on the border with Molise.

History and culture

The historic centre of Teramo can be explored on foot through four historic districts with churches, monuments and Roman remains. The façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta combines a Gothic upper section with a Romanesque lower section. The Roman theatre of Teramo was built during the Augustan period; part of the surrounding brick wall has survived from the Roman amphitheatre. The Torre Bruciata is a Roman bastion made of opus quadratum dating from the 2nd century BC.

The Church of Sant’Anna dei Pompetti preserves the surviving part of Teramo’s former cathedral, Santa Maria Aprutiensis. Its holdings also include a 12th-century fresco depicting two angels with a clipeus and the blessing hand of God. Castello Della Monica was opened to the public, or the community, for the first time in 2022 following work on the garden, ground floor and first floor.

Archaeology and sacred sites

The Scala Santa in Campli dates from 1772 and is one of the three holy sites mentioned worldwide where a plenary indulgence is granted, alongside Rome and Jerusalem. It consists of 28 wooden steps leading to the chapel of the Sancta Sanctorum. Inside are 18th-century frescoes depicting the Passion of Christ. The Santuario della Scala Santa is open all year round.

In Castelli, the Museo delle Ceramiche was founded in 1984 to preserve and exhibit the culture and art of majolica and local ceramic production. The museum is housed in a Franciscan monastery dating from the mid-16th century. It reconstructs an old pottery workshop and shows the preparation of the clay, shaping, glazing and decorating, as well as a traditional kiln of the “Forno a respiro” type.

The Madonna della Cona archaeological site includes an Italic necropolis from the 7th to 6th century BC and a Roman cremation necropolis from the Republican period, which was used until the first decades of the 2nd century AD. The site is accessible without architectural barriers, and admission is generally free; however, fees may apply when making a reservation. Guided tours are offered at the fortress of Civitella del Tronto.

More local pages: Colledara, Ornano Grande.

To the higher-level travel overview: Abruzzo.

More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Chieti, Pescara, L-Aquila.