Once upon a time...

Col quale venne dal Frigio monte l’esule Solimo,
che diede il nome alla città di Sulmona (*)

With these verses the great roman poet Publio Ovidio Nasone relatess the origin of the town where he was born on the 20th of March, 43 b.c.. Sulmona, according to legend,   was founded and named after the Phrygian friend of Aeneas, Solimo. Even the famous Roman historian Tito Livio, in his work 'History of Rome from its Foundation', tells of 'Sulmo, the beautiful and ancient Peligni's town with its high and mighty walls that, out of loyalty to Rome, closed its gates to Hannibal.

 Sulmona reached its maximum splendor during the Middle Ages, particularly during the reign of Emperor Frederick II, who had great respect and gratitude for the city.  Because of the loyalty shown to him by its citizens,  he made it the capital of Abruzzo.

 Sulmona was the seat of the Giustizierato;  a Chair of Canonical Law; the first of the Sette Fiere del Regno (Seven fairs of the kingdom); and the most important of the Giostre Cavalleresche (Chivalric rides) that still attract riders from all over Europe.

 During the Holy Week, Sulmona is very popular with tourists who come to view its ancient and moving sacred rituals, such as the impressive Good Friday Procession, and, on Easter Sunday, the famous Madonna che scappa (The Flying Madonna).

 We will walk through Sulmona’s historical city center. and while admiring its beautiful monuments we'll take a trip back in time. As we stroll within the ancient walls of the town, I'll tell you about the origin of its famous confetti (candy), a symbol of the warmth and the hospitality of the Sulmonesi (citizens of Sulmona).

(*) Who came from Mount Frigio, the exiled Solimo
to gave his name to the City of Sulmona.