LEISURE ACTIVITIES

Sports and Nature: Perfect Combination

Thanks to the richness of the territory, Majella National Park, like the whole Abruzzo region, offers several activities to be carried out immersed in nature. The wide green areas are suitable for walking tours, mountain bikes, or horse riding, with possibility of organized walks for any kind of training level and to each corner of the region. In some Nature Reserves, there are areas dedicated to specific activities such as the free climbing. During winter, Abruzzo Mountains become the ideal place for skiers or for those who love to snowshoe.

Below, find some of the possible activities:

• Guided excursion
• Free Climbing
• Horse Riding
• Mountain Bike Excursions

HORSE RIDING

The Majella National Park, in addition to the regular hiking trails, has also a network of Horse Trails that wind through the Park. For horses lovers it is a fantastic experience to visit this area riding this extraordinary animal, enjoying the fresh and clean air that only a natural environment can give and admiring the wonderful landscapes present in this area.

For information on horse trails visit the site Majella National Park - Horse Trails

MAJELLA NATIONAL PARK (PARCO NAZIONALE DELLA MAJELLA)

The Majella National Park is one of the three national parks that are present in Abruzzo, in the provinces of Pescara, Chieti and L'Aquila. It was established in 1991 and it extends over an area of ​​about 74,000 hectares, comprising the mountain ranges of Majella and Morrone. The highest summit of the complex is Monte Amaro, whose summit reaches an altitude of 2793 m asl. There are many towns and hamlets in its territory, but above all there are many hermitages, churches and breathtaking places. Here are some examples: Hermitage of St. Bartholomew, Hermit of Holy Spirit, St. Thomas Church, Abbey of Saint Liberator with its ancient rocky graves and the springs of Alento, Orfento Valley and many others.

The Park has a large path network that winds for about 700 km, with excursions ranging from a few hours to several days of hiking. Some trails are dedicated to families, children and people who are less trained, others are practicable only by the most experienced and trained ones.

Thanks to its extension and to the various environments that lie within its boundaries, the biodiversity of the Park is very rich. The species and subspecies found in the territory are about 2100, which account for more than 65% of Abruzzo flora and almost 30% of the Italian one. Of these, 5 are exclusive of the Park area: the Soldanella del Calcare, the Fiordaliso della Majella, the Pinguicola di Fiori, the Radicchiella della Majella and the Ranuncolo Multidentato.

The fauna of the Park is also varied and among the most important species are the Brown Marsicano Bear, the Apennine Wolf, the Abruzzo Chamois, the Real Eagle, the Gracchio Corallino, the Viper dell’Orsini, the Apennine Salamander and the Apennine Ululone.

For more information visit the site Majella National Park

L'EREMO DI SAN GIOVANNI ALL'ORFENTO (THE HERMITAGE OF SAINT JOHN)

The hermitage

The Eremo di San Giovanni is located on a rocky wall of the Orfento Valley Nature Reserve, in the Majella National Park. The hermitage was originally a small cave, then enlarged and adapted to residential use.

To access the hermitage, after a relatively long path, you have to climb up a staircase carved into the rock that leads to a spectacular walk, at the end of which a shrinking of the passage makes it hard to access the cultural building: you have to crawl for the last 3 meters having a precipice to your right. This is also what makes the hermitage so impressive.

The first room you encounter once you go inside has a rectangular shape and has 2 small niches carved into the rock of the left wall, while at the bottom there is the entrance to an oratory with an altar and a tabernacle. There is also an interesting water system excavated in the rock, which conveys the rain water and the water exuded by the rocks that, after a decantation process, is collected in a tank with a capacity of 700 liters.

History

Pietro da Morrone, future Pope Celestine V, resided in the hermitage of St. Bartholomew. Because of the large number of faithful who visited him to worship him, he decided to retire to a more isolated and peaceful place. He found this place in the present eremo di San Giovanni. For almost 9 years, Pietro da Morrone, along with a few disciples, lived a completely isolated life. After the period of profound, solitary meditation in the Orfento Valley, he retired in 1293 in the hermitage of Sant'Onofrio al Morrone.

It is not possible to determine whether Pietro da Morrone reconstructed the eremo di San Giovanni or if he only restored it.

How to reach it

The Eremo di San Giovanni is located on the Sentiero dello Spirito (Spirit Trail - S) of the Majella National Park. You have to reach Piana Grande, from Valle Giumentina, following the signs before (if you started from our farm stay) the intersection of Abbateggio, Roccamorice, San Valentino and Caramanico. After passing the Ecomuseo del Paleolitico, continue (path B1) until you reach a bar. From here you can go straight to the path of the spirit and after 40 minutes, passing near a precipice, you reach the hermitage. Otherwise you can go on a short stretch of path B1 and then follow the Sentiero dello Spirito on your right. You will reach the hermitage after 20 minutes. These paths reunite, so you can choose any of them.

Google Maps

Coordinates: 42° 9′ 14.09″ N, 14° 4′ 50.51″ E

In order to enter the area of the hermitage you must request free authorization at the Centro Visite (Visitor Center) of Caramanico Terme.

For guided tours of the eremo di San Giovanni all'Orfento please visit: Majellando