Overview
At the foot of Colle Rotondo, Bugnara welcomes you in its ancient world witnessing the succession of noble families who left in the village architectural traces of great value.
The village, one of the most beautiful in Italy, has the typical triangular shape characteristic of the Middle Ages, with stone houses that seem to embrace each other, giving a sense of protection, and steep, narrow alleys which, climbing upwards, lead to the top of the geometric figure from which the Palazzo Ducale, built in the 12th century by the di Sangro family who lived there until 1500, dominates.
The palace is surrounded by walls of which the side parts with cylindrical turrets are preserved. The rest of the castle was converted into residential premises in the 18th century, with an inner courtyard.
The structure consists of three levels: the residential main floor, the ground floor and the service basement with fondaci, wells and masonry tanks for storing oil, grain or other foodstuffs. Another Palace of great beauty is Palazzo Corrado, built in the 18th century, in typical late Roman Baroque style, with a regular order of framed windows and a large stone portal with lintels.
Fill up on art and spirituality by visiting the Church of the Santissimo Rosario, built between the 16th and 17th centuries, in late Baroque style, with a single nave and decorated ceilings. Note the massive wooden pulpit, the friezes, the gilding and the 16th-century stuccos. Don't stop there: enter the Church of Santa Maria della Neve, the first parish church of the village, probably existing since the 11th century.
It is said that it was built on a pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Ceres, worshipped by the Pelignians, as thanks for the harvests.
Then reach the Church of the Madonna degli Angeli, whose current building dates to the 15th century. In the mid-19th century, being far from the village, it housed a lazaret.
Another destination is the fountain in Piazza SS. Rosario: a 15th-century stone wall fountain, one of the finest examples of this kind in Abruzzo. The basin rests on a pedestal and the arched niche is surmounted by the coat of arms that belonged to the Di Sangro family.
If you love eat desserts, you should taste the pizzelle, typical of Bugnara. The culinary tradition also offers renowned quality products such as wine and oil or the tasty pecorino cheese.