Sant'Apollinare & surroundings

Sant'Apollinare is a small village on the hill above the Moro valley, part of San Vito Chietino, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.

The hill was already fortified in the Middle Ages: it is mentioned in a papal bull of Alexander III from 1176, and the arch of the old castle stands right in front of the palazzo. A short walk away is the church of the Madonna delle Grazie, possibly from the 13th century, with its mosaic of the Coronation and the silver statue of the Madonna; on the belvedere, the little church of San Rocco looks out over the countryside to the sea. Below lies the Trabocchi Coast.

La strada volgeva per una collina solatia piantata d'olivi, discendeva per una terra irrigua messa a pasture, e risalendo tra i vigneti giungeva alle fattorie di Sant'Apollinare.

The road wound over a sunny hill planted with olive trees, went down through irrigated land given over to pasture and, climbing back up among the vineyards, reached the farmsteads of Sant'Apollinare.

What to see

A few minutes from the palazzo.

The trabocchi

The old fishing machines on stilts that give the coast its name. Some are now restaurants where you dine suspended over the sea.

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The Via Verde

The Trabocchi Coast cycle path runs along the old railway line, past coves, beaches and trabocchi. Walk it or ride it.

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San Vito Marina

The palm-lined seafront, the beach and the harbour: the closest sea to the palazzo.

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Ortona

The Passeggiata Orientale overlooking the harbour and the sea, the Aragonese castle and the old town.

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San Giovanni in Venere Abbey

In Fossacesia, the Benedictine abbey on a hill above the sea: one of the finest in Abruzzo.

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Rocca San Giovanni

A small village of flower-filled stone alleys overlooking the sea.

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Lanciano

Piazza Plebiscito with the Madonna del Ponte cathedral and its bell tower, and an old town to explore.

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A little further

The Majella

Majella National Park: forests, trails and hermitages carved into the rock.

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Guardiagrele

The village at the foot of the Majella, with Porta San Giovanni, Santa Maria Maggiore and a tradition of wrought iron.

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Punta Aderci Nature Reserve

Near Vasto, wheat-covered hills dropping steeply to pebble beaches and clear sea.

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Address

Via Vico del Carcere 21, Sant'Apollinare, San Vito Chietino (CH)

The palazzo is in a limited traffic zone (ZTL): cars can't reach the front door, but you can park in the adjacent street. Check-in from 3:30 pm to 8 pm, check-out by 10 am.