Discover Scontrone: Art, History and Nature Trails

Scontrone brings together medieval culture, contemporary art and natural history discoveries within a compact thematic area. For you, this creates a destination whose character is revealed both while walking through the old town centre and along nature trails and at local festivals.

Art and History in the Town Centre

In the old town centre of Scontrone, medieval culture and contemporary art come together through murals and sculptures. The historic centre contains 24 murals, created since 1988 by Italian and foreign artists and restored in August 2017. The ancient Church of Santa Maria in Scontrone was built before 1356 and has Romanesque capitals.

Several museums complement this historical focus. The Museo Internazionale della Donna nell’Arte is a permanent contemporary art museum dedicated to the artistic work of women. It displays paintings, photographs and sculptures by female artists from more than 40 countries. At the Museo della Radio, you can see 50 radios manufactured between the 1920s and the 1970s.

The Museo della Montagna contains around 130 paintings, sculptures and photographs by artists who took part in editions of the national poetry and literature prize “Teofilo Patini”. The awarded themes dealt with the particular living and working conditions of mountain populations.

Nature Trails and Paleontology

The Centro di Documentazione Paleontologico is dedicated to Scontrone’s fossil site, which was discovered in 1991 and dates back around 10 million years. The centre displays remains of primitive even-toed ungulates of the genus Hoplitomeryx.

The fossil site is connected to the Centro di Documentazione Paleontologico by an approximately 800-metre-long geological and natural history trail with an elevation difference of 120 metres. During the warmer months, a section of the fossil site prepared for visitors can be visited by prior arrangement with the centre’s operator. Several nature trails in Scontrone offer views of La Foce and its centuries-old beech forests.

Villa Scontrone also adds a special cultural and historical dimension to the landscape: it has a sulphur spring on the site of the town’s former thermal baths. This makes it possible to combine different interests when planning your visit – from geological topics and museum visits to routes with views of nature and forests.

Hikes and Living Traditions

Escursionisti Scontrone offers an annual programme of group hikes in the Scontrone area. The local hiking association also organises a rock-climbing course with professional instructors every year. These two activities highlight exercise and the landscape as recurring elements of local life.

The festivals continue cultural traditions and regional everyday customs. The Feast of Sant’Antonio Abate on 17 January includes the distribution of blessed bread and the tasting of typical dishes. In the last days of February, the “Te cumpà me” tradition is renewed every year in Scontrone: figures equipped with horns and bells celebrate the beginning of spring while singing.

On 21 August, the pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Madonna di Canneto begins in Villa Scontrone. Together with the museums, murals, nature trails and paleontological topics, this creates a stay in which you can explore culture, landscape, activity and local traditions at different paces.

More Destinations

Pagliare, Collebrincioni, Mascioni, Introdacqua, Paganica, Capitignano, Ovindoli, Cerchio

To the main travel overview: L-Aquila.