What is Sulmona known for?

Italian sugared-almond confection produced in Sulmona since at least the 14th century, with Confetti Pelino operating in town since 1783. The Roman poet was born in Sulmona in 43 BC, and the town adopted his initials SMPE (Sulmo Mihi Patria Est) as its civic mark. Annual July ring-jousting tournament of the seven city boroughs, in Renaissance costume, descended from a 13th-century practice.

When is the best time to visit Sulmona?

Apr–Oct. April through June is the green season in the Valle Peligna, when the Maiella above the town still holds snow. The last week of July brings the Giostra Cavalleresca, the town's biggest annual gathering. August is hot, mid-thirties at midday, and the centro storico empties between two and six. September and October are dry and clear, the best months for walking and for the autumn confetti displays in the Pelino windows. November through March is quiet but not closed. Sulmona keeps a working winter rhythm and the Easter procession of the Madonna che Scappa in Piazza Garibaldi is the only event in central Italy where the Madonna actually runs.

Sulmona is a comune in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo region of Italy, about 73 kilometers from Pescara.

How do I get to Sulmona?

From Pescara, Sulmona is roughly 73 km by road.

Abruzzo · L'Aquila

Sulmona

in the Valle Peligna, birthplace of Ovid in 43 BC and home of the sugared-almond confetti industry since the 14th century.

Known for

CONFETTI
Italian sugared-almond confection produced in Sulmona since at least the 14th century, with Confetti Pelino operating in town since 1783.
OVID
The Roman poet was born in Sulmona in 43 BC, and the town adopted his initials SMPE (Sulmo Mihi Patria Est) as its civic mark.
GIOSTRA
Annual July ring-jousting tournament of the seven city boroughs, in Renaissance costume, descended from a 13th-century practice.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

The festa: Panfilo di Sulmona, 28 April

Why come

Sulmona sits in the Valle Peligna, at the confluence of the Gizio and Vella rivers, ringed by the Maiella, the Morrone and the Genzana ranges. The Roman poet Ovid was born here in 43 BC and never stopped writing about the salubrity of its water, a claim still made by the town. Under Frederick II in the 13th century, Sulmona became the capital of the imperial province of Abruzzo and got the aqueduct of Manfred of Swabia, which still defines the long side of Piazza Garibaldi.

The town survived two earthquakes, in 1349 and 1456, and emerged as the home of confetti, the sugared-almond confection given at weddings and baptisms. Confetti Pelino, the best-known house, has been producing in town since 1783. Every July, the Giostra Cavalleresca brings out the city's seven boroughs in Renaissance procession from the Cathedral of San Panfilo, ending in a ring-jousting tournament in Piazza Garibaldi.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Sulmona’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

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What to see

Piazza Garibaldi
The town's main piazza, dominated on its long side by the 13th-century aqueduct of Manfred of Swabia, host of the July Giostra Cavalleresca.
Cattedrale di San Panfilo
Cathedral of the city's patron, the oldest church in Sulmona, starting point of the Giostra historical procession.
Palazzo dell'Annunziata
Late-Gothic and Renaissance palace on Corso Ovidio with three different facade phases visible, now housing the civic museum.
Museo dell'Arte e Tecnologia Confettiera Pelino
Confetti museum at the Pelino factory, in operation since 1783, with original 19th-century pans and molds.
Giostra Cavalleresca
July tournament with the seven boroughs of the city sending knights to thread rings on horseback, drawing on a 13th-century practice.

The slow-trip planner

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Signature dish

Confetti di SulmonaSweet

Sugared almonds shaped into flowers and bouquets, a craft Sulmona has kept since the Renaissance.

See every town in our catalogue with a dish of its own.

Living here

Population 22,175
Off the beaten pathi
Pharmacy in town
High school within a 30-minute drive
Train station in the comune
Nearest airport Rome, 2 h 30 min drive
Regional capital L'Aquila, 1 h 14 min drive

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

Parco Nazionale

The numbers

Elevation: 405 m
Population: 22,175
Surface area: 57.93 km²

On the map

Google Maps Apple Maps Directions from Pescara

These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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