EXTRA (A)

L’AQUILA - CHIETI

Breakfast and departure to L’Aquila. Admire its historic centre, where you can see the ruins that remain as a memorial to the earthquake that hit the city in 2009. In contrast to this, you will also see the splendor of the Baroque and Renaissance architecture that remains intact, the Fountain of the 99 Spouts, the Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio, the Spanish Fort and also the L'Aquila's beautiful city squares. It is a wonderful way to discover this unique region of Italy. Lunch on your own to taste local food. Continue to Chieti, which lies on a hill at 350m in a strategic location near both to the sea and to the mountains. It has ancient origins, even oldest than the ones of Rome, and according to one hypothesis it was founded by Achilles. Walking through its center with Your assistant you can see the Cathedral dedicated to St. Justin, the bell tower built in 1335, and the public gardens of the 19th century Villa Comunale. Back to your hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight.

✓ INCLUDED
    • Accommodation in Ignas Tour's Hotels - Treatment: BB
    • Private Car, Minibus or Bus for Full Day Excursion
    • Half Day Tour Guide in L’Aquila (2h)
    • Half Day Tour Guide in Chieti (2h)

NATIONAL PARK OF ABRUZZO - OPI - PESCASSEROLI

EXTRA (C)

SCANNO – GOLE DEL SAGITTARIO – COCULLO – BUGNARA – SULMONA

Breakfast and departure to the peaceful Scanno Lake and the historic centre of Scanno. There are a myriad of small churches to visit such as San Rocco church, the Church of Saint Eustace, the Church of San Giovanni Battista, and several others. The Church of Santa-Maria della Valle is among the most important churches in Scanno, built in the local romanesque style and containing some medieval frescoes and impressive altar, while the Church of San Giovanni Battista contains an interesting selection of religious statues dating from the 17th to the 20th century. Afterwards pass through the very scenic Gole del Sagittario (Sagittarius Gorge) and proceed to Cocullo (the village of snakes) to admire the medieval village. Lunch on your own to taste local food. Then arrive at the most beautiful village in Italy, Bugnara. Surrounded by hills and woods, which dominates the entire Peligna Valley from its position, this is an ancient village, which developed especially in the Middle Ages and has seen the succession of noble families who have left in the town traces of great architectural value: the symbol of this past is the Castello Ducale. Continue to Sulmona, known worldwide for the century-old production of confetti, lies in the hearth of the Abruzzo region in the Peligna Valley, close to the Majella National Park. Over the centuries it was crossed by transhumant shepherds, merchants and warriors and it’s rich in history. You can see the ruins of the ancient walls, its churches and palaces. Back to your hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight

✓ INCLUDED
    • Accommodation in Ignas Tour's Hotels - Treatment: BB
    • Private Car, Minibus or Bus for Full Day Excursion
    • Half Day Tour Guide in Sulmona (2h)
    • Entrance Fee – Museo del Confetto di Sulmona (closed on Sundays)

CASAURIA – POPOLI – BOMINACO

Breakfast and departure to the Abbey of San Clemente a Casauria was built in 871 at the behest of the emperor Ludovico II. Initially it was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and in 872, taking in the remains of San Clemente, it took its current name. It is one of the structures undergoing restoration after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake. Proceed to Popoli, whose historic center is the typical medieval town, with numerous remains of the medieval castle and a parish church, of ancient foundation with several works by local artists inside. In one of the most important of the historical center, via Giordano Bruno, there are still preserved the signs of the many artisan shops of the past, making Popoli a characteristic village with an ancient charm. Lunch on your own to taste local food. Continue to Bominaco, that with its castle, which was built in the 12th century, and its cylindrical tower, still visible today, dominates the Altopiano di Navell. Here in the 10th century a Benedictine monastery belonging to the abbey of Farfa was founded which, after a period of prosperity that lasted until the thirteenth century, definitively closed its doors in 1792. In continuous and assiduous contrast with the diocese of Valva from which it began to depending on 1093, the Benedictine complex lived its history through this long conflict without ever reaching a greater autonomy with respect to the bishop valvense. Today it is possible to admire two buildings of that monastery built between the 11th and 12th century: the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Assunta and the oratory of San Pellegrino. Back to your hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight.

✓ INCLUDED
    • Accommodation in Ignas Tour's Hotels - Treatment: BB
    • Private Car, Minibus or Bus for Full Day Excursion
    • Half Day Tour Guide in Casauria (1h30)
    • Entrance Fee – Abbey of San Clemente a Casauria (closed on Mondays)
    • Half Day Tour Guide in Popoli (1h30)
    • Half Day Tour Guide in Bominaco (1h30)

VENAFRO - CASTEL SAN VINCENZO - ISERNIA – PIETRABBONDANTE

Breakfast and departure to Venafro, a town located in the Volturno valley. Modern Venafro is centred around Pandone Castle where you can see a 16th century life size fresco of parading horses. Together with the two main churches, Annunziata and San Francesco, the ambience has many cultural touches of nearby Campania, again indicating the flow of trade and people from the west to east Italian coasts. Proceed then towards Castel San Vincenzo, built on the slopes of Mount Vallone and has impressive views over the surrounding mountainous countryside and the lake below. The village itself consists of narrow roads climbing up the hillside and lined with attractive stone houses. The key monument in the village is the San Vincenzo al Volturno abbey which was built at the beginning of the 8th century. Lunch on your own to taste local food. Continue to Isernia, a well restored beautiful town, fanning out into a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys. The town is believed to have been one of the oldest settlements in Europe as archaeologists have found 700,000 year old traces of fire used by humans. The town today is divided into two parts; the historic centre and the modern quarter. The old town lies on the hilly ridge by the Carpino and Cavaliere Rivers; the ancient “decumanus” is still evident, from which numerous alleys branch out. Afterwards visit Pietrabbondante, known for the ruins of the Samnite fortifications on the slope of the Mount Saraceno. Between the 2nd and the 1st centuries b.C. the Samnites built a majestic complex with a theater, a temple and arcaded buildings, used both as a meeting place as for cult activities. Here take the opportunity to visit of the archaeological site. Back to your hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight.

✓ INCLUDED
    • Accommodation in Ignas Tour's Hotels - Treatment: BB
    • Private Car, Minibus or Bus for Full Day Excursion
    • Half Day Tour Guide in Venafro (1h30)
    • Half Day Tour Guide in Isernia (1h30)
    • Half Day Tour Guide in Pietrabbondante (1h30)

TERMOLI – TREMITI ISLANDS

Breakfast and departure to Termoli, a seaside town with several treasures belonging to its ancient past: the majestic Cathedral built in the Apulian-Romanesque style (12th-15th centuries), the Old Village made up of small squares and narrow streets, the Swabian Castle of Frederick II, built by the Normans in the 11th century and then renovated by Frederick II in 1247. Be ready to board on the motorboat for a tour of the Islands of Tremiti. The largest island of the archipelago is St. Domino Island; largely covered by forests of Aleppo pine, for fertility and spontaneity of flowers of every color, was called by the Benedictine monks "Garden of Paradise." The waters are clear, the coast is indented with coves, headlands and cliffs, wonderful are the rock of the Elephant, the rock of Pagliai, pyramid-shaped. The archipelago boat tour allows you to visit, among other things, the Grotta delle Viole, Bue Marino and Rondinelle. Lunch on your own to taste local food. In the afternoon visit of the San Nicola Island, artistic historical center of the archipelago, with the ancient Byzantine Abbey: for the numerous traces of an ancient and glorious past, it is considered an open museum. Back to your hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight.

✓ INCLUDED
    • Accommodation in Ignas Tour's Hotels - Treatment: BB
    • Private Car, Minibus or Bus for Full Day Excursion
    • Full Day Tour Guide in Tremiti Islands (3h + 3h)
    • Boat Ferry to/from Tremiti Islands
    • Private Boat for Tremiti Islands Excursion (San Domino, San Nicola)