Overview
Be captured by the poetry of the coastline of Fossacesia, the pearl of the Trabocchi Coast, nestled on gentle hills in the Theatine province that slope down to the Adriatic Sea.
Already inhabited in pre-Roman times by the Frentani, in the Middle Ages it became the fiefdom of the splendid Cistercian Basilica of San Giovanni in Venere, a spectacular example of Benedictine architecture that dominates the wide gulf below from the top of the Promontorio di Venere.
But listen up! "Venus" is not just a stylistic addition to emphasise the beauty of this place: on the site where the abbey stands there was, in fact, a pagan temple dating from the time of Caesar or Augustus, dedicated to the cult of the goddess Venus Conciliatrice. The pagan cult was replaced by the Christian one roughly between the second half of the 6th century and the first half of the 8th century. In addition to caring for the abbey, the result of a long artistic process, the monks also transformed the cloister, making it a lush Mediterranean garden, accessible and open to visitors. You will agree with us that the history of this abbey is witness to the ancient origins of this charming locality.
From this evocative spot, visible from all over the Trabocchi Coast, you can choose whether to proceed towards the town centre, admire public buildings and aristocratic villas built from the 1600s onwards, touch on historical and ritual evidence, or head towards the coast. Here you will be bewitched by an unexpected habitat: bays and inlets alternate with pebble beaches and sandy shores, framed by rich Mediterranean vegetation, dotted with broom and sea fennel, with orange groves and olive groves reaching almost to the sea.
Most of the accommodations are located south of the rocky shoreline of Punta Cavalluccio, an enchanting stretch of coastline characterised by the presence of countless trabocchi. Hiking trails, which can be followed on foot or by mountain bike, will allow you to immerse yourself in nature and enjoy the tranquillity of the area. If you are fond of sea adventures, the town also offers a landing place for pleasure boats.
The culinary art, undoubtedly present throughout the region, offers various delicacies that you can enjoy by the sea, on the coast or directly on the trabocchi. Indeed, many of them house romantic little restaurants where you can dine caressed by the sound of the waves or immersed in the 17th century architecture of the town: bull's horn peppers, sun-dried tomatoes from the Piane del Sangro, scapece, crustacean and potato soup, frittura di paranza (fried fish) and fish brodetto, a dish that is a symbol of Abruzzo seafood cuisine,
