Overview
The village of Campli is a real 'treasure chest' guarded in the heart of the Teramo hills.
An enchanting city of art where history and culture, tradition and religious worship come together to create a unique mix.
Inhabited since pre-Roman times, as is testified by the necropolis found in nearby Campovalano, Campli experienced its greatest splendour in the Middle Ages, when under the control of the Farnese family it became a meeting place for painters and artists from the schools of masters such as Giotto and Raphael, to name only a few of them.
Masterpieces that today still embellish the main monuments in the historical centre and nearby towns, from the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Platea (14th century) to the Church of San Francesco with adjacent convent (where the Archaeological Museum is housed), from the 15th-century convent of San Bernardino to the Church dedicated to the Madonna della Misericordia. Of great value not only artistically but also religiously is the Church of San Paolo with the nearby Scala Santa (Holy Staircase), so called since 1772 when the custom of granting plenary indulgence to those who climbed its twenty-eight steps made of hard oak wood on their knees and bowed head became widespread.
Lastly, the historical centre of Campli offers valuable examples of medieval and Renaissance civil architecture, starting with the Casa del Medico (Doctor's House) and the Casa del Farmacista (Pharmacist's House), up to the imposing Palazzo parlamentare (Parliamentary Palace).
Find out more:
Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga (gransassolagapark.it)
