Civitaquana

Discover Civitaquana

At 550 metres above sea level, on the eastern slope of the Gran Sasso descending towards the Pescara hills, Civitaquana is home to 1,146 inhabitants spread between the historic centre and the surrounding hamlets. The village’s very name — documented in medieval sources as Civitas Aquanae — reveals an origin linked to the presence of springs and watercourses. Understanding what to see in Civitaquana means following these traces: water, local stone, and the religious structures that mark the village’s profile as seen from the provincial road climbing up from Catignano.

History and origins of Civitaquana

The toponym Civitas Aquanae, recorded in early medieval documents, points to a settlement that arose near water resources. The area was already frequented in Roman times, as suggested by sporadic finds across the municipal territory, but it was during the Norman-Swabian period that Civitaquana took on a defined form, with the construction of defensive structures and feudal ties that bound it to various Abruzzese noble families. In the twelfth-century Catalogus Baronum, the village appears among the fiefs of the Pescara territory subject to the Norman crown.

In the following centuries the fief passed under the control of various houses, including the Cantelmo and later the Valignani, one of the most influential families in the Vestina area. It is to the Valignani that significant interventions in the local civil and religious architecture are owed. The built-up centre preserves a layout that reflects the layering of these different rulers: an older core in the upper part, with narrow alleyways and limestone houses, and an expansion downhill dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The modern history of Civitaquana follows the fate common to many Abruzzese hill towns: substantial emigration in the post-war period and a slow demographic contraction that brought the population from several thousand in the nineteenth century to the current 1,146 residents. The local economy has reoriented itself towards olive and vine cultivation, with olive oil production falling within the Pescara hills district.

What to see in Civitaquana: 5 main attractions

1. Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie

A religious building that dominates the historic centre, the church features a stone façade with a decorated portal and a single-nave interior. Some architectural elements point to interventions between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The high altar displays Baroque decorations added at a later date. It is here that the patronal feast of Sant’Egidio is celebrated, a focal point in the local liturgical calendar.

2. Palazzo Valignani

The noble residence of the family that held the fief for a long period, the palazzo stands out for its stone portal and imposing dimensions relative to the surrounding building fabric. The structure, remodelled several times, shows layers ranging from the late Renaissance to the eighteenth century. The main façade overlooks a small open area that once served as the square of feudal power.

3. Remains of the fortified village

In the upper part of the village, traces of the old defensive layout can still be read: stretches of walls, an entrance arch, and the concentric arrangement of houses around what was once the highest and most protected point. The local stone masonry, left unplastered, displays building techniques datable to between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. The route is short but steep.

4. Church of Sant’Egidio Abate

Dedicated to the village’s patron saint — celebrated on 1 September — this church represents the most direct link between the community and its religious identity. The building, in its current form, is the result of successive restorations, but it retains decorative elements and sacred furnishings of interest. The small square in front offers a vantage point over the surrounding hills as far as the Adriatic Sea on clear days.

5. Trails through the olive groves of the Vestina hills

The municipal territory is crossed by rural roads connecting Civitaquana to its hamlets and farmland. The olive groves, cultivated with local varieties including Dritta and Intosso, shape the hillside landscape in orderly rows broken up by oaks and dry-stone walls. These routes — suitable for walking or cycling — cover a moderate change in elevation and allow visitors to observe the relationship between cultivation and the morphology of the terrain.

Cuisine and local products

The cuisine of Civitaquana reflects the farming tradition of the Pescara hills. Extra virgin olive oil is the cornerstone product: the district falls within the production area of Aprutino Pescarese DOP oil, obtained predominantly from Dritta olives harvested between October and November. The local oil has a medium fruity profile with vegetal notes, and is used uncooked on legume soups, bruschette, and cooked vegetables. Among the first courses are sagne e fagioli, irregular fresh pasta dressed with a thick borlotti bean broth, and maccheroni alla chitarra with lamb ragù.

Sweets follow the calendar of feast days: ferratelle (thin wafers cooked between heated iron plates) appear during celebrations, as do bocconotti, small shortcrust pastry cases filled with grape jam or cream and chocolate. The local wine production belongs to the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo zones, with wineries scattered across the countryside between Civitaquana and neighbouring municipalities. Some local farms sell oil, wine, and preserves directly.

When to visit Civitaquana: the best time

The hill climate at 550 metres produces cold but not harsh winters — January minimum temperatures hover around 0–2 °C — and warm summers without the humidity of coastal areas. The months between May and June are most suitable for those who want to discover what to see in Civitaquana with long daylight hours and vegetation at its peak: the olive groves are in flower and wheat fields colour the hills. September brings the feast of Sant’Egidio, the village’s patron saint, with celebrations that include a procession and communal gatherings in the square.

Autumn, between October and November, is the olive harvest season: the countryside comes alive with nets spread beneath the trees and the sound of vibrating combs. Visitors during this period can observe the oil production cycle up close. Winter is quiet, with short days and few visitors, but the village’s position makes it possible to reach the ski resorts on the Pescara side of the Gran Sasso in about an hour.

How to reach Civitaquana

Civitaquana is reached from the A25 Roma–Pescara motorway, exiting at the Torre de’ Passeri toll booth and continuing for about 15 kilometres along the provincial road heading north-east. From Pescara the distance is approximately 35 kilometres, covered in 40–45 minutes. The nearest airport is Abruzzo Airport in Pescara, just over 40 kilometres away.

The closest railway station is Scafa-San Valentino, on the Roma–Pescara line, from which you continue by car or with the local transport services run by TUA (Trasporto Unico Abruzzese), although services to the hill towns are limited. From Rome the driving time is approximately two and a half hours; from Naples allow three hours via the A1 and then the A25. Having a car is advisable for getting around the surrounding territory and reaching the hamlets.

Other villages to discover in Abruzzo

Those exploring the inland areas of Abruzzo starting from Civitaquana can extend their itinerary towards the mountainous interior. To the west, in the province of Chieti, Civitaluparella is a settlement of just a few dozen inhabitants overlooking the Sangro valley, where the landscape changes dramatically compared to the Pescara hills: here broadleaf forests and rock faces dominate. The contrast between the two villages — one tied to hillside olive cultivation, the other to pastoralism and the mountains — conveys the geographical variety of a region that within a few dozen kilometres passes from sea level to two thousand metres.

Moving towards the L’Aquila area, Goriano Sicoli occupies a basin in the central Apennines along the route of the old Sulmona–L’Aquila railway. Here too the population is small, but the urban layout and the churches retain notable elements. Linking Civitaquana to these centres in a single trip allows you to cross three provinces and as many landscapes, from the Vestina hills to the Majella mountains and on to the Peligna plateaux, along lightly trafficked roads that follow the contours of rivers and valleys.