Chieti: Antiquity, Museums and Gardens on the Hill

Hilltop City and Historic Paths

Chieti lies on a 330-metre-high hill and offers views of the sea and the surrounding mountains. The compact historic centre is easy to explore on foot: old streets lead past monuments, churches, squares and historic shops. Along these routes are ancient archaeological sites, museums and religious buildings that showcase Chieti as a cultural city shaped over time.

Other places: Canosa Sannita, Ortona, Roccascalegna, Taranta Peligna, Tollo, Vasto, Roccamontepiano, Scerni, San Vito Chietino, Francavilla Al Mare, Carunchio, Borrello, Atessa, Rocca San Giovanni, Gamberale, San Martino Sulla Marrucina, Chieti, Vacri, Casoli, Villamagna, Casalbordino, Olmi, Archi, Gessopalena, Fossacesia, San Giovanni Teatino, Marina Di Vasto, San Salvo, Bomba, Lanciano, Casacanditella, Paglieta, Lama Dei Peligni, Ripa Teatina, Crecchio, Cupello, San Lorenzo, Arielli, Torrevecchia Teatina, Miglianico, Pretoro, Orsogna, Pennapiedimonte, Casalincontrada, Mozzagrogna, Lido Di Casalbordino, Perano, Guardiagrele, Pizzoferrato, Brecciarola, Villa Caldari, Colledimezzo, Castel Frentano, Bucchianico, Altino, Filetto, Dogliola, Rosello, Torino Di Sangro, Cerreto, Villa Santa Maria, Torricella Peligna, Fara San Martino, Marina di San Vito, Fresagrandinaria, Treglio, Schiavi di Abruzzo, Pollutri, Piane d'Archi-Quadroni, Tornareccio, Monteodorisio, Villalfonsina, Castiglione Messer Marino, Montazzoli, Sant'Eusanio del Sangro, Sambuceto, Lentella, Fallo, Guilmi, Mezzano, Palombaro.

Gardens and Cityscape

The Villa Comunale consists of several terraced levels with Italian gardens, a small wood, illuminated ponds, paths and stone bridges. It also includes a small peninsula surrounded by water for smaller performances. The Villa Comunale complex is also home to the Monumento ai Caduti della Guerra 1915-18, created by Pietro Canonica.

Access to the Giardino dei Semplici is free of charge during the university’s opening hours. The Teatro Marrucino offers another perspective on the city’s history: it was built from 1813 to December 1817 on the enclosing walls of the former deconsecrated church of S. Stefano e S. Ignazio.

Ancient Traces

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale d’Abruzzo documents the culture of ancient Abruzzo from prehistory to the Late Imperial period. The collection is complemented by a numismatic section with coins from the 4th to the 19th century; the museum also has a specialised library with around 13,000 volumes.

The Roman amphitheatre della Civitella dates from the 1st century AD and was used for gladiatorial combats. It is elliptical in shape; parts of the arena wall and the honorary tribune have been preserved. The Tempietti Romani are considered Chieti’s oldest place of worship and consist of three adjacent temples. They were probably built in an area already used for the worship of deities in the 5th to 4th century BC.

Chieti Sotterranea, an underground city, lies beneath the present-day historic centre. A partially preserved system of cisterns and tunnels remains there; some underground rooms were used as air-raid shelters during the Second World War. The Terme Romane of Chieti date from the 2nd century AD and are located in the eastern part of the city.

The Sito archeologico di Teate Marrucinorum in Chieti preserves a mosaic depicting Neptune’s trident, a dolphin and two hippocampi. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale La Civitella is located on the summit of the acropolis of ancient Chieti. It displays finds illustrating the city’s origins and development through artefacts from the area once inhabited by the Marrucini. Three museum tours are entitled “L’inizio della storia urbana”, “Da Roma a ieri” and “La terra dei Marrucini”.

Art, Science and Religious History

The Museo D’Arte Costantino Barbella is housed in the 17th-century Palazzo Martinetti. Five sections display paintings, sculptures by Barbella, works on paper, paintings from the Premio Michetti and ceramics from Castelli. There are also panels from the 15th century, Neapolitan paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, and works by the Abruzzo artists Cascella and Michetti.

The Museo Universitario d’Annunzio is a science museum focusing on the natural sciences and the history of science, as well as biological, medical, archaeological, anthropological and palaeontological subjects. It covers more than 1,500 m² across three floors and is divided into twelve sections.

The Museo d'Arte C. Barbella, Palazzo de Mayo, Trifoglio Arte and Palazzo De Pasquale are also located in the vicinity of Chieti. The Museo Diocesano Teatino preserves historical and artistic material from the Palazzo Comunale, the Cattedrale di San Giustino and other churches in the diocese. On display are works of art and liturgical furnishings from the 13th to the 16th century.

The Cattedrale di San Giustino has three naves separated by columns, ending in three apses; the central nave is covered by a barrel vault with lunettes. Its crypt preserves the saint’s relics and has a simple medieval design. Among the important finds in Chieti is the Guerriero di Capestrano, a life-size statue from the 6th century BC depicting a Vestine king in military attire.

Gardens and Coast

The area around Chieti includes Spiaggia Pescara, Spiaggia Postilli, Spiaggia del Foro di Ortona and Spiaggia di Foro. Thus, the hilltop city’s historic and museum sites are complemented by named coastal destinations in the surrounding area.

Getting There

Travellers arriving from the north can take the A14 Bologna–Bari motorway to the Pescara Ovest–Chieti exit and then continue on the SS 656 towards Chieti Centro. Chieti can be reached by train via the Pescara–Rome railway line; several regional railway lines also connect the city, among others, with Teramo and Sulmona.

To the higher-level travel overview: Abruzzo.