Capestrano: Hilltop Views, the Tirino and History

Capestrano lies on a hill overlooking the valley of the River Tirino. Below the town, the river rises from Presciano, Il Lago and Capo d’Acqua. Castello Piccolomini also defines the town’s skyline. The landscape, water and historic buildings offer different ways to shape a trip. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first consider whether you are most interested in the river landscape, architectural history or archaeological discoveries.

Hilltop Town and Waterway

The names of the three springs make the Tirino a tangible part of the landscape: Presciano, Il Lago and Capo d’Acqua lie below Capestrano. The tourist route in the Distretto Valle del Tirino also provides a clear sequence of places; it runs from Bussi sul Tirino to Capestrano. As well as views over the river valley, there are named places to include in your travel plans.

If you would like to make time on the water a separate experience, the municipality lets you book an outing on the Tirino with your own canoe or kayak. A reservation is mandatory; each booking is for one canoe or kayak. Check the booking rules before your trip.

The Castle and Sacred Architecture

Castello Piccolomini towers over the town. It has two cylindrical towers and one square tower. In 1465, it was rebuilt as a residence. The shapes of its towers and the date provide a concrete architectural and historical context for the building, without confusing the rebuilding phase with its original construction.

Another group of buildings can be understood through several points in time: Chiesa di San Pietro ad Oratorium lies about six kilometres from Capestrano, in the direction of Bussi sul Tirino. The surviving church is a 12th-century rebuilding; the monastic complex was founded as early as the 8th century. The church also contains a 13th-century ciborium. The foundation, rebuilding and ciborium therefore belong to different centuries.

In Presciano, Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto stands near the Presciano spring, one of the Tirino’s three springs. Here, a named church building and a specific feature of the river landscape meet. Those interested in sacred architecture can consider this connection as a distinct focus alongside the chronology of San Pietro ad Oratorium.

The Warrior and Historical Records

Il Guerriero di Capestrano was discovered by chance in the summer of 1934, while a vineyard below the town was being worked. The statue depicts Nevio Pompuledio and is dated to the 6th–5th century BC. It was carved from a single block of limestone and stands 209 centimetres tall without its base. The find therefore brings two different periods into focus: its discovery in the 20th century and the much earlier era to which the statue is dated.

Convento francescano di San Giovanni was built in 1447. Its library preserves volumes and manuscripts, including a papal bull dated 18 April 1262. The building date and the date of the bull highlight different historical periods; the surviving documents add the subject of written history to the impressions made by the castle, churches and archaeological find.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Coppito, Verrecchie, Collebrincioni, Rovere, Corfinio, Foce, San Demetrio Ne' Vestini, Sulmona.

For the overview of the wider area: L-Aquila.