Overview
Come and visit Introdacqua, a town in the province of L'Aquila, located on a hill in the Peligna Valley at the confluence of two valleys, those of Contra and Sant'Antonio, embraced by the Plaja and Cerrone mountains.
The town is, therefore, a medium hill town, with its more than 600 metres of altitude, although curiously it has a "watery" name: inter aquas means, in fact, town among the waters.
In fact, you are close to the Sagittario River (the main tributary of the Aterno-Pescara), which springs from headwaters fed by Lake Scanno, about 29 km away, and enters the Peligna valley.
In the center, visit the mother church of SS. Annunziata, which contains Renaissance frescoes, an 18th-century painting of St. Biagio and the remains of St. Feliciano Martire, the patron saint.
It has a beautiful Romanesque bell tower built of local stone.
Opposite, there is the church of SS. Addolorata with the statues of the Dead Christ and Addolorata, carried in procession on Good Friday. In that of SS. Trinità is preserved the statue of the "Madonna che vèle": the Virgin Mary, who runs toward her resurrected son during the performance organized on Easter Day.
Also admire the Dongione of Introdacqua, which is the medieval tower whose construction began in 1173 with the arrival of Simone I di Sangro, one of the many "lords" who contested the territory over the centuries.
The fortress towers over the town with its square base belted by polygonal walls, with houses all around it up to the Trasmondi Palace, from the name of the last feudal lords of the town.
Don't miss the Fontavecchia, or Old Fountain, a rectangular basin with the village's stone coat of arms and the date of construction, 1706.
Finally, for you trekking enthusiasts, there is a beautiful ascent to Mount Genzana, so named because it hosts abundant gentian blooms. Reach the Forca Ristoppia refuge at about 1,800 meters above sea level through the S. Antonio valley and enjoy a breathtaking panorama that reveals the region's most significant mountains and plains: the Sulmona valley and Morrone, the Maiella, the Piano delle Cinquemiglia, the Piana del Fucino, the Sirente and the Gran Sasso.
Impressive.
Now cozy up at the table along with maccheroni alla chitarra topped with lamb sauce, "sagne e fagioli" and sheep meat arrosticini.
These are delicious traditional dishes followed by a shot of gentian liqueur, the best zero-mile digestive, made by steeping its dried roots in white wine for at least 40 days.
Try making it yourself: the important thing is that once the time is up, you remove the roots by adding sugar and alcohol.
What else to see:
- The church of St. Antonio
- The church of St. Giovanni
- The church of the Madonna delle Grazie
- The church of the Madonna of Loreto
- The "gates of the Earth"
- The archaeological area Piano della Civitella