Fara San Martino: Gorges, Nature Trails and Culture

Fara San Martino combines an impressive mountain landscape with historical traces and a distinctive culinary history. Just outside the town begin the Gole di San Martino: a narrow gorge between high rock walls on the eastern slope of the Maiella. Anyone wishing to combine a trip with nature experiences, culture and regional history will find different focal points here for planning their days.

Planning the Gole di San Martino consciously

The Gole di San Martino form a 14-kilometre-long gorge route with an elevation difference of 2,300 metres. These details are among the most important points of orientation for anyone wishing to include this natural area in their trip.

For the visit, it is recommended to contact authorised mountain guides. In bad weather, the gorge should be avoided because of the possibility of falling rocks. The Gole is therefore not suitable as a casual stop, but rather as an experience for which you should carefully consider the conditions and the planned itinerary. Especially when different interests come together within your travel group, a day in Fara San Martino can be complemented by other nature- or culture-related activities.

San Martino in Valle and historical discoveries

The surviving remains of San Martino in Valle include an entrance gate, an inner courtyard, an originally three-arched portico and a bell tower with a pitched roof. The site can be reached from Fara San Martino: after the car park at the Gole di San Martino, follow the H1 park trail. This allows you to combine an examination of the historic architectural remains with the natural setting of the gorge without presenting the two impressions as a single attraction.

San Martino in Valle was first mentioned in 829 as the property of the Santo Stefano in Lucania monastery. Those interested in the history of medieval settlements thus have a specific point of reference. In the town itself, the parish church of San Remigio houses the most important collection of artistic and archaeological artefacts in Fara San Martino. The right aisle also contains the painting “The Circumcision” by Antonio D'Errico, known as Tanzio da Varallo, dated between 1612 and 1614.

Another distinctive historical detail is La Porta, the main entrance to the old village of Fara San Martino. The gate dates from 1708 and features a Neoclassical style. Together with San Remigio and San Martino in Valle, it creates a cultural programme that makes different periods and forms visible.

Verde landscape and local food culture

There is an equipped picnic area at the sources of the Verde River. The Verde landscape is also accessible to tourists via nature and environmental education trails. If you would like to choose between a challenging gorge route, a nature-focused stay and cultural visits, Fara San Martino therefore offers different ways to get to know the area.

The history of pasta is also part of the character of the town. Pasta production in Fara San Martino developed from artisanal beginnings around the middle of the 19th century into an industrial activity in just over 100 years. This transformation adds an insight into Fara San Martino's economic development to the landscape and cultural themes.

Which accommodation suits your plans

When searching for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Fara San Martino, the desired combination of gorge, nature, church art and local history may be decisive. Anyone wishing to include the Gole di San Martino should incorporate the route requirements and weather conditions into their planning. Those focusing on culture can give different weight to San Remigio, La Porta and San Martino in Valle. For a nature-oriented stay, the Verde landscape provides another specific point of reference. In this way, you can base your choice of accommodation on the experiences that are genuinely central to your travel group.

For further travel planning, you can also view Paglieta, Carunchio, Dogliola, San Giovanni Teatino, Castiglione Messer Marino, San Vito Chietino, Colledimezzo and Torino Di Sangro.

To the main travel overview: Chieti.