Overview
Lucoli lies on the northern edge of the Sirente Velino Regional Natural Park.
The earliest historical records date back to the early Middle Ages: the origin of Collimento, whose location seems to be suggested by defensive reasons, is due to the establishment of a small farming community near the Benedictine Monastery of San Giovanni, which arose in the 9th century. As testified by a document from 1077 reported by Antinori, the hamlet must have been fortified: of the ancient castle, unfortunately, only a few ruins remain.
The various hamlets' settlements remained contained, within extremely modest limits, to the present day. They have preserved the traditional environmental features derived from the mainly pastoral imprint of the local economy.
Lucoli is now a popular and well-equipped summer resort and winter sports center, especially because of its proximity to Campo Felice, which is one of the most established ski centres in the province of L'Aquila, with modern ski lifts. The Campo Felice Plain also offers lovers of cross-country skiing many interesting routes. The area's mountains offer opportunities for hiking, ski mountaineering and sport climbing. A real gem suitable for all enthusiasts and the less experienced who want to try to learn these disciplines.
In between sports, we suggest you stop by and visit the Garden of Memory, a place of recollection, remembrance and hope. Here, with the names of the 309 victims of the earthquake, the past and memory merge with the future, represented by mosaics made by children from local schools.
In Lucoli you can enjoy traditional Abruzzo dishes, such as gnocchetti with chickpeas or sagne e fagioli. Among the second courses we find barbecued lamb with potatoes cooked al coppo, a cooking technique that consists of placing food on the coals and then covering it with a lid, the coppo in fact. There is, of course, no shortage of pecorino cheese accompanied by honey.
What else to see:
- the Abbey of St. Giovanni Battista
- the parish church of San Sebastiano, dating back to the 15th-16th centuries