Sulmona

Sulmona lies in the Peligna basin, enclosed by the high mountains of Abruzzo. The ancient birthplace of the poet Ovid became a medieval town of churches, markets and skilled craftsmen. Roads through the basin joined it to neighbouring valleys and the Adriatic slopes. Outside the town, beneath Mount Morrone, stands the abbey of Santo Spirito, associated with the hermit Pietro da Morrone, who became Pope Celestine V in 1294.

The abbey became the seat of the Celestine order's abbot general in 1293. Its buildings grew around the church and cloisters, but the earthquake of 1706 caused severe damage. The monks rebuilt and enlarged the complex during the following decades, continuing work until 1730. The restored abbey remained a prominent religious house in the valley beneath the mountains.