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A town called Solimo was first settled here by the Italic people known as the Peligni; it was one of their major centers. Just outside the town are the ruins of the Sanctuary of Hercules Curinus, a monumental shrine dedicated to the cult of Hercules, the Italic protector deity of shepherds and flocks (photo: bottom row, 3rd from left). For centuries It was a major stopping place for the flocks during the seasonal migrations to and from Puglia. During the Roman era, the settlement was known as Sulmo. 1st century AD artifacts from the Roman era have been found, including, among others, a mosaic floor with a geometric floral decoration in black and white, a bust of the god Hermes and a bas-relief showing the seasonal migration of the sheep flocks to southern pastures. Many of the artifacts found, including the bas-relief, are in the Museo Civico of Sulmona, which is in the Palazzo SS Anunziata.
Christianity came to the Peligna Valley in the 4th century AD, and initially the territory constituted one diocese, that of Valva; Sulmona became the seat of this diocese. The town grew steadily during the late medieval period, and under the rule of the Svevi family became one of the most populous cities of Abruzzo, with important civil and religious institutions as well as an economic and commercial importance. The town continued to flourish throughout the Renaissance with thriving trade and high quality craft production. In 1706 Sulmona was heavily damaged by an earthquake. In the second half of that century the reconstruction of public and religious buildings revitalized the town and boosted the economy of the entire area.
Points of interest in the town include a number of buildings of artistic interest which dot the city and which date from various eras. The cathedral of San Panfilo was built in the 8th century, on the remains of a pagan temple dedicated to Apollo and Vesta. The church and palazzo of SS Anunziata is a huge complex and an architectural jewel (photo above right). The complex was begun in the 14th century as a hospice for the infirm and a home for abandoned children. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 1456 and rebuilt. As a result of damage in the 1706 earthquake, much restoration of the church was again necessary, with the result that the complex is an interesting mix of Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic styles of architecture. In the belltower hall of the palazzo is a museum of folk costumes of Abruzzo and Molise, and of the history of transhumance - the centuries-old seasonal migration of the sheep between the summer pastures in the mountains of Abruzzo and the winter pastures on the plains of Puglia. This is one of the most complete collections of folk costumes, as well as of artifacts from daily life and sheep-farming practices in Abruzzo and Molise.
In Piazza Ovidio is a statue commemorating the Roman poet Ovid, who lived in Sulmona (photo bottom row left). A medieval aquaduct called the aqueduct of King Manfred, built in the mid-13th century, crosses Piazza Garibaldi and is a marvel of medieval engineering (photo: top row left). There is an ancient gate to the city, Porta Napoli (photo: 2nd from left, bottom row), which was built in the early 14th century and which is the biggest of the 12 gates to the city. The 13th century church of San Francesco della Scarpa (St. Francis of the Shoe) has the finest doorway of any church in Abruzzo. Its name comes from the officiating monks, who, not being Franciscans, wore shoes.
The church of Santa Maria della Tomba owes its name to an ancient tomb which originally stood at the center of the church. This church, which dates from 1400, was built over the ruins of a temple to Jove and it has a beautiful gothic facade. It is from Santa Maria della Tomba on Easter Day that Sulmona's famous procession of the statue of the Risen Christ leaves, to wait beside the arches of the medieval aqueduct for the arrival of 'the rushing Madonna,' a statue of the Madonna carried at a run across Piazza Garibaldi for a joyous reunion with her risen son. This event is very spectacular and much visited by tourists.
The monastery complex of Badia (Abbey) Morronese stands on a plain north of Sulmona, 2 or 3 miles from the town. The church was founded by Pietro di Angelerio, the future Pope Celestine V. In 1293, in accordance with Pope Celestine's wishes, it was made the home of the Celestine order. A huge building surrounded by a wall, it is today a prison and can be visited only for approved study reasons. Celestine's hermitage, not far from the abbey, stands on the rocky crags of Monte Morrone, above the ruins of the Temple of Hercules.
Sulmona is well-known for its goldsmiths and for its "confetti," an ancient traditional sweet consisting of candy-coated almonds, sometimes worked into fantastic arrangements. The town is heavily visited by tourists at Easter, for the pagent of the risen Christ and the rushing Madonna previously mentioned, and also for an annual medieval joust, the Giostra Cavalleresca di Sulmona, an ancient tradition in the town which is recreated each summer (photo: bottom row, 4th from left).
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