Cittaducale Between History and Thermal Springs
Accommodation in Cittaducale
Cittaducale Between History and Thermal Springs
Cittaducale combines a clearly tangible urban history with churches, monastic sites and surroundings shaped by thermal locations. Its historical classification begins with the founding charter: it was drawn up in Naples on 15 September 1308 under the rule of Carlo II d’Angiò. Those who choose the town as a travel destination encounter not only individual buildings, but also a sequence of tangible testimonies spanning several centuries and encompassing religious, urban and landscape contexts.
File:Cittaducale vista dalla Salaria 01.jpg
Photo: Alessandro Antonelli via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Piazza del Popolo is the town’s main square. The two streets of Cittaducale that run perpendicular to each other meet there. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Popolo was built towards the end of the 15th century and restored after the earthquake of 1703. Its façade displays the Abruzzese Gothic-Romanesque style, a central rose window and three portals.
Further testimonies lead into different periods of the town’s history and show different historical functions. The Torre Angioina (Cassero di San Manno) is a well-preserved fortified tower building that guarded Cittaducale’s main entrance. The Monastero di Santa Caterina D’Alessandria was built in 1327. In the 16th century, the Palazzo della Comunità housed Duchess Margherita of Austria, the daughter of Emperor Charles V.
Religious sites also shape the character of Cittaducale, bringing together architectural history, cultural institutions and religious memory. The Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina D’Alessandria complex includes, among other things, a museum and a library. The Santuario di Santa Maria delle Grazie lies beneath the walls of Cittaducale and commemorates the miracle in which the image of the Madonna is said to have shed tears on 11 September 1694. It is precisely the combination of architectural history, religious memory and individual cultural institutions that makes the town interesting for travellers who want to discover Italy through its heritage shaped over time.
For a more active, landscape-oriented travel plan, the area offers further points of interest. The European long-distance trail E1 runs through the Cittaducale area, connecting the Terme di Vespasiano with the Villa di Tito. Near the Terme di Cotilia there is a lake with sulphurous water. The Antiche Terme di Vespasiano thermal complex extends across four successive terraces; its access begins on a road that follows the route of the Roman Via Salaria.
If you are primarily interested in architecture, the founding charter, Piazza del Popolo, the Cattedrale, Torre Angioina, Monastero and Palazzo lead to different historical themes. The E1 and the thermal sites complement this perspective with trails, water and landscape. This means that your choice of accommodation remains guided by your preferred travel rhythm, while the specific places remain clearly distinct from one another.
Discover further destinations
You can also choose Cittareale, Poggio Bustone, Borgo Velino, San Polo, Vacone, Gavignano Sabino, Amatrice and Poggio Moiano as further travel destinations.
Back to the higher-level travel overview: Rieti.
