Anversa degli Abruzzi

Anversa degli Abruzzi is a town in the province of L'Aquila. The city is famous for its rich and unspoiled landscapes; in the territory there is the Guided Natural Reserve of the Sagittario Gorges and the hamlet of Catrovalva. The Reserve was established in 1997 and includes the lower valley of the Sagittario River, forming the Gorges. Inside the reserve it is possible to visit a museum and an important botanical garden. The environment of the reserve has allowed the development of several plants among the most exclusive are the Sagittarius cornflower, the Campanula cavolini and the rare Ephedra dei Nebrodi. Within the protected area you can admire different species of animals including the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon, the coral choughs and the mountain swallows. Near the Cavuto spring you can admire dipper nests, while in the spring waters the Apennine trout. In the area there is a strong presence of bears, wolves, roe deer, deer and wild boar. The church of San Marcello is dedicated to Pope Marcello I, it was built in the 11th century and enlarged by the count of Procida who had his coat of arms affixed to the portal. The facade is in Romanesque style, inside the walls have numerous frescoes. On the right side after the entrance two frescoes have been found depicting Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and Sant'Antonio. The hamlet of Castrovalva is the only hamlet of Anversa degli Abruzzi, located on a rocky spur, its history dates back more than a thousand years ago. The ancient fortified village dominated the Sagittario valley from above; there are still the abandoned buildings and what some say would be the residence of the feudal lord. The church of the Madonna delle Grazie was built over the ancient chapel of San Tommaso. It has a portal with a molded frame in the late Romanesque style. The church has a single nave and preserves inside the statue of Santa Lucia of the twentieth century, in the ancient niche there is a sculpture of the Madonna and Child of the sixteenth century. The virgin is represented sitting and holding the child in her arms with a red robe and a blue mantle. The main altar is surrounded by two ovals painted with depictions of the virgin, the child and St. Joseph. Typical traditional dishes are: lamb with cheese and eggs, spur anchovies, brodetto alla vastese, caggionetti, stuffed artichokes, crostini alla chietina, broad beans with bacon, omelette with wild herbs and tre monti, a typical dessert of the area. The town is linked to the great Gabriele d'Annunzio, who set his tragedy under the bushel of the village of Anversa degli Abruzzi, so much so that the literary park was dedicated to him. The park's activities are organized throughout the year but in particular in the summer. The visit to the parks lasts 2-3 hours and aims to represent and / or read passages and works by D'Annunzio and to travel and visit the places of D'Annunzio's tragedy. The economy of the town until the second post-war period was based on the production of ceramics.