Caramanico Terme

Member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia

Sulphur springs, already called 'putrid waters' in an old chronicle, gave Caramanico its spa in 1901 and the 'Terme' in its name in 1960. The old centre sits where the Orta and Orfento rivers meet, at 613 metres on the north-western slopes of the Maiella, entirely inside the national park. Trails run the length of the Orfento valley, one of the first protected areas in Abruzzo.

Highlights

Santa Maria Maggiore, with a Gothic portal of the Coronation of the Virgin (1476)
Romanesque San Tommaso church, with its 'holy column' and spring-water crypt
Walks in the Valle dell'Orfento nature reserve (IT)
The hermitage of San Giovanni all'Orfento

Text adapted from Wikipedia (Caramanico Terme (IT), Caramanico Terme (EN)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Population: 1,779

Things to see

Blockhaus (IT)
Chiesa di San Tommaso Becket (IT)
Riserva naturale Valle dell'Orfento II (IT)
Hermitage of Sant'Onofrio all'Orfento (IT)
Monte Focalone (IT)

Events through the year

Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot Religious · 17 JanuaryBlessing of farm animals and a play on the saint's life
Candlemas Religious · 2 FebruaryBlessing of candles lit during bad weather
Feast of Saint Blaise Religious · 3 FebruaryBlessing of throats with holy oil after Mass
Holy Thursday and the tamurri rite Religious · Holy ThursdayWashing of feet, then night procession with drum and flute
Favoni Religious · 1 AugustLarge ritual bonfires open the patronal feast, with food and music
Palmentieri Religious · 14 AugustWomen in costume parade wicker baskets hung with pizzelle
Feast of Santa Maria Assunta Religious · 15 AugustSolemn feast of the town's patron
Feast of Saint Roch and ballo della pupa Religious · 16 AugustAt midnight a papier-mâché figure dances covered in fireworks

Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.

Adapted from Wikipedia (Caramanico Terme). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Local food & wine

LasacrasillabaFerratella aquilana CC BY-SA 4.0
PizzelleSweetTraditional sweet sewn onto the wicker palmentieri baskets at the August procession

Adapted from Wikipedia (Caramanico Terme). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to sleep

11 places to stay within 3 km

Hotels 7
B&Bs and guest houses 3
Campsites 1

Thermal baths nearby

Thermal spa: Terme Alte · ~1 h 04 by car

Nearby member villages

Abbateggio · 9.3 km
Pacentro · 11 km
Pretoro · 13 km
Guardiagrele · 17 km
Introdacqua · 18 km