It is said that the first sugared almonds were produced in this city and that they are so famous that they were chosen for the Royal wedding of the royals of England. Another Italian excellence enclosed in a location in the heart of Abruzzo. The city of Sulmona is located in the vicinity of the park national Majella. It is the seat of the diocese of Sulmona Vulva and is in the province of L'Aquila. A place rich in history and traditions to be discovered.
The production of sugared almonds in Sulmona
In Sulmona there is the oldest confetti factory. It seems that as early as the XNUMXth century, in the monastery of Santa Chiara, the nuns practiced this art. And over time, numerous companies have been created and among these the Pelino Factory. The sector has specialized giving life to different specialties. The best are those that contain almonds, produced in the Peligna valley and in Abruzzo, but also the Sicilian ones, such as almond Pizzuta di Avola, and Ragusa.
The Sulmona sugared almond has received an important recognition: the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies has included it in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products, recognizing it with the PAT brand. There are also many variations of taste, from chocolate to caramel, from apple to orange. It seems to make the difference between Sulmona sugared almonds and others manufactured in other areas purity of sugar used without low cost thickeners, such as flour or starch. Today you can visit the Pelino museum built in the old factory.
Not just sugared almonds: the gastronomy of the city
Soups and soups prepared with local vegetables and legumes, but also sausages, cured meats and ham: these are the typical dishes of the area. But also the red garlic of Sulmona, with a high content of essential oils. And then chocolate nougat enriched with toasted hazelnuts and enclosed in two wafer sheets, up to the Christmas boots and stuffed chickpeas. Easter fiadoni or pizzelle prepared with a mixture of eggs, flour, sugar and cooked with the appropriate iron. It is therefore worth visiting it, to savor the excellence of gastronomy, discover the production of the famous sugared almonds and admire its works of art.
Sulmona, the homeland of the Latin poet Ovid
Churches, palaces, alleys, squares: Sulmona is a city full of Story. A center of art and culture: in 43 BC the Latin poet Publio Ovidio Nasone was born here, who immortalized his origins in the famous verse "Sulmo mihi patria est", whose initials appear on the city coat of arms since the Middle Ages. There are many archaeological evidences: those of the Italic oppidum, one of the largest fortified settlements in Central Italy. The aqueduct that delimits Piazza Garibaldi dates back to the XNUMXth century, where the re-enactment of the Giostra Cavalleresca takes place in the summer. And then the Cathedral of San Panfilo, one of the oldest churches with a suggestive early medieval crypt. The Santissima Annunziata complex which documents four centuries of Sulmonese art, a wonderful synthesis of Gothic, Renaissance and barocco.
And again Piazza XX Settembre with the bronze statue of Ovid. The Fontana del Vecchio, one of the most important examples of the Renaissance. You can then visit the diocesan civic museum of Santa Chiara, and its municipal art gallery of modern and contemporary art. The Church of San Francesco della Scarpa, with a late Gothic facade and a Baroque interior. The complex of the bell tower and the monumental side portal are of great scenographic effect. And then Porta Napoli, a splendid example of civil architecture of the fourteenth century.
