What is Roccamorice known for?

Two Celestinian rock-cut hermitages, San Bartolomeo in Legio and Santo Spirito a Majella, used by the future Pope in the 13th century. Pietro da Morrone lived in the San Bartolomeo hermitage before his 1294 election as Pope Celestine V and his five-month abdication. The commune sits inside the Parco Nazionale della Majella with trail access to the high karst plateau and Monte Amaro at 2,793 meters.

Where is Roccamorice?

Roccamorice is a comune in the province of Pescara, Abruzzo region of Italy, about 53 kilometers from Pescara.

Abruzzo · Pescara

Roccamorice

A village at 520 meters in the Majella foothills, gateway to the rock-cut hermitages where Pietro da Morrone lived before becoming Pope Celestine V.

520m

Elevation

53 km / 33 mi

Nearest hub (Pescara)

878

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Parco Nazionale

Why come

Roccamorice sits at 520 meters on the western flank of the Majella massif, inside the boundaries of the Parco Nazionale della Majella. The village was founded around the year 1000 and stayed small. Its larger significance lies in the rock-cut hermitages scattered through the surrounding limestone. The Eremo di San Bartolomeo in Legio, set into a rock spur at 700 meters with a 50-meter cliff above it, predates the 11th century and was restored in 1250 by Pietro da Morrone, who lived there for two years before being elected Pope Celestine V in 1294. Celestine resigned the papacy after five months, an event Dante placed in his Inferno. The Eremo di Santo Spirito a Majella, larger and partly built into a cliff face, was another of his retreats. Every August 25, the village carries the statue of San Bartolomeo in procession from the hermitage to the parish church. The trails to both hermitages start in town.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Roccamorice fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

Gallery

4 photos · scroll →

Known for

Eremo di San Bartolomeo in Legio
Pre-11th-century rock-cut hermitage at 700 meters under a 50-meter cliff, restored in 1250 by the future Pope Celestine V.
Eremo di Santo Spirito a Majella
Larger Celestinian hermitage partly cut into the limestone, also linked to Pietro da Morrone's years on the Majella.
Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Abate
Parish church of the village, end point of the August 25 procession carrying the statue of San Bartolomeo down from the hermitage.
Parco Nazionale della Maiella
The commune lies entirely inside the Majella National Park, with trails climbing east toward the Tavola dei Briganti and Monte Amaro.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September through October are the months for the hermitage trails, when the limestone is dry and the upper Majella is accessible. July and August can be hot below 800 meters, though the higher hermitages stay cool in the rock. The August 25 procession of San Bartolomeo from the hermitage to the parish church is the village's main gathering. November through March is quiet, with snow possible above 1,000 meters from December. The trails to the hermitages remain walkable on dry winter days but become dangerous on ice.