Tourist Guide to Italy from Prorealproperty

Italy has always been an extraordinarily beautiful, interesting and mysterious country with a huge number of attractions. In it, each town has its own interesting history, is literally imbued with the spirit of the Middle Ages and arouses great interest among travelers. These include the city of Penne, located in the province of Pescara.

The first thing to note is the unique climate of the city. It is located between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains. Penne is a typical Italian resort town with a small population of about 12,500 people. Of course, the main industry of Penne is tourism, which is explained by the beauty of the local places, impeccable cleanliness and goodwill of local residents. Also, agriculture and the garment industry are well developed here. The garment industry refers to the very famous Brioni fashion house, in which all costumes are made by local seamstresses exclusively by hand.

Penne is an ancient city, which is immediately felt when you first visit it. The atmosphere of ancient Italy in Penne is literally in the air.  The appearance of the first settlements on this territory was marked six millennia BC. In the III century BC, Penne was the capital of the Vestines, an Italian tribe. This is indicated by the ancient name of the city - Pinna Vestinorum. A couple of centuries later, the Vestines suffered a severe defeat from the Romans during the Samnite War, after which the city fell under Roman rule. In the Middle Ages, the city was ruled by the Longobards (Duchy of Spoleto), then it was part of the Kingdom of Sicily. In 1538, the city became the dowry of Margaret of Austria, the daughter of Emperor Charles V, who adored Penne for its beauty. The heyday of Penne fell precisely in the Middle Ages.

Today the city is located on four hills, of which two (Colle Castello, Colle Sacro) are a medieval historical center, which, of course, cannot but attract tourists.

Despite the fact that the city was destroyed by the Roman commander Sulla and has practically not preserved traces from the era of the Romans and the Vestines, the medieval building and structure as a whole are clearly traced in Penn. The city is surrounded by fortress walls with five gates, which were created in the XV century. The layout of Penne is distinguished by narrow straight streets, from which alleys branch off.

The main architectural feature of Penne lies in the use of light brick as the main building material. With its help, ancient palaces, fortress walls, Gothic temples, etc. were erected. The brick-paved streets, which serve as the finishing touch in creating a medieval appearance, have been perfectly preserved.

Piazza Luca da Penne

Tourists wishing to visit the "Middle Ages" come to Penne from Pescara, where a regular bus runs. They immediately get to the main square - Piazza Luca da Penne, which is the landmark of the town. The tourist information bureau, the city municipality is located on the square. The latter is located in a building that was previously a Dominican monastery, so it is advisable to start a trip around the city with a visit to the Church of St. Dominic. The entrance to the church is located in the courtyard of the municipality.

St. Dominic 's Church

The creation of the church dates back to the XIV century, after which it was repeatedly reconstructed. The architecture of the building is truly unique. As a result of the mixing of several styles, the interior decorated in the Baroque style is hidden under the Gothic facade of the building. The facade is decorated with a bas-relief of the Madonna and Child.

A must-see is the Chapel del Rosario, located in the Church of St. Dominic. The statue of the Madonna and Child is enclosed in a carved gilded altar. In a similar style, the ceiling is also equipped with a wooden ceiling decorated with carvings.

The walls of the church are decorated with alabaster stucco, and the light streaming from the large stained glass windows makes the interior simply charming. This chapel is really a small masterpiece.

Cathedral of Santa Maria degli Angeli e San Massimo

There are walking directions from the central square: Corso dei Vestini and Corso Alessandrini. By and large, these are two parts of the main street of the city, where Corso dei Vestini goes to the right, Corso Alessandrini – to the left. Choosing the path along the Corso Alessandrini, you can come across such a landmark as the Cathedral of Santa Maria degli Angeli e San Massimo. It is distinguished by the Romanesque style, where the main elements are considered to be a flat facade and a high bell tower.

The cathedral is located on the top of the Sacred Hill (Colle Sacro), where in ancient times there was a temple of the goddess Vesta. The beginning of its construction dates back to the X century, but it was constantly rebuilt. Reconstruction was carried out even in the twentieth century. On the territory of the cathedral there is a museum of the Diocese of Pescara-Penne.

St. Nicholas Church on Largo San Francesco Square

A very interesting object for the traveler will be Largo San Francesco – a square dominated by medieval mansions and on which, to put it mildly, the unusual church of St. Nicholas is located. The church was built in the XIX century according to the project of the engineer Dottorelli. The structure has the shape of a rotunda, quite unusual for the medieval architecture of Penne. The interior of the church is decorated very ascetically. There is only one nave, in which the strict altar is located.

St. Francis Gate

The city gate of St. Francis (formerly St. Nicholas) is installed near the church. Their creation was carried out in 1780 . From the outside, the structure is decorated with a portal with a bas-relief of St. Maximilian, who is considered the patron saint of Penne.

St. Clare 's Church

Another attraction is the small church of St. Clare. In this church there is a very valuable statue of the Madonna, made of wood in the Middle Ages. Nearby is the Palazzo Scorpione, a historical site that was previously the former residence of Margaret of Austria, one of the most influential women of the Renaissance. Now it is a convent of the Holy Family.

Church of the Holy Cross

On Piazza Santa Croce square, in addition to the medieval city gates, the main attraction is the Church of the Holy Cross, distinguished by its elegance and compactness. The square owes its name to the name of this church. The church has absorbed medieval and Baroque elements. Its flat white facade is framed by a portico and semi-columns of a yellowish hue. Also, the instruments of the Passion of Christ, placed on the facade of the church, catch the eye of tourists.