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technical info
The stage is very long (218 km). The first 90 km run on fast‑flow roads through Isernia and Rionero Sannitico; the roadway is wide and well surfaced, with some well‑lit tunnels along the route. The stage course then tackles the Roccaraso categorised climb, followed by a long descent leading to Sulmona and Popoli. Past Bussi sul Tirino, the route takes in the final climb (approx. 45 km), with a few short counter‑sloping stretches. The ascent is divided into two parts (relevant to the Mountains Classification): the first one until Calascio, and the second one (shorter and steeper) up to the finish.
Final kilometres
The ramps are steep over the last 7 km. The route reaches over 2,000 m in altitude on a moderately wide road, with gradients around 9% and topping out at 13%. The finish line (7 m in width) sits on a 120 m long tarmac home straight.
start / finish
climb detail
final kilometres
itinerary timetable
tourist info
Host city:
Capua
Overview
EST CAPUA REGNI CLAVIS CRUX HORRIDA PRAVIS CAPUA ABINITIO SPECIOSA.
These words written along the Civic emblem, resume in a few lines the history of the city.
The current city of Capua was founded by the Lombards in 856 by the brothers Landone and Landolfo. Both were sons of Landolfo I, the last count to have governed ancient Capua and who had experienced its destruction in 840. The new settlement was founded in a bend of the Volturno river, on the ruins of the ancient Roman port of Casilinum and the legacy of the ancient metropolis, now desolate, was registered right from the start. The new Capua was the seat of the great Lombard principality founded by Atenolfo I and which with Pandolfo I reached its apogee, momentarily becoming one of the main potentates of the early medieval South. The ancient Diocese of apostolic foundation also moved to the new city. In Longobard Capua in 960AD the famous Placito was drawn up, the first attestation of an Italian language in an official document.
With the Norman conquest the city entered the new Kingdom of Sicily and with Frederick I it became an important administrative centre. The city grew even more under the Anjoù who expanded and enriched the urban texture with palaces and religious buildings. The city was among the most important in the South.
With the Aragonese the urban center extended further becoming a refined second court for the rulers of the Trastamara house. The terrible Sack of Capua on 24 July 1501 marked an important set back for the city’s development.
The city revived, however, and with the Spanish Vice kingdom it returned to being the main administrative center of Tera di Lavoro as well as the mostsolid northern bastion of the Regno together with Gaeta. City-fortress, a combination that from the 16thc entury marked thefate of the city, shaping its urban texture.
The Austrians and the Bourbons further enhanced this aspects oas to make it an important military and logistic centre.The city remained substantialy sountil the outbreak of World War I.
Capua, contains centuries of history in a few hundred meters. Religious buildings from the Lombard period to the Late Baroque, noble palaces, Roman antiquities that dot the streets, the Campano Museum, one of the main museums in the South, the Benedictine Basilica in Sant’Angelo in Formis. The Volturno river surounds it, Mount Tifata watches over it, the walls protect it.In Capua, history makes an avalanche on itself.
Food
MOZZARELLA
The Campania-region buffalo mozzarella is produced exclusively through buffalo milk. Mozzarella comes from the italian word “mozzare” (cutting): modelling a piece of spun paste and then cutting the individual parts, giving them a rounded shape. Thanks to the safeguarding consortium, in 1996 this mozzarella has been given the denomination of “protected origin”, DOP in Italian.
In the 18th century, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon created the first experimental dairy farm in the Carditello Palace. Every dairy farm in our territory has matched the standards of quality necessary to receive the DOP branding.
CAPUANELLO MELON
A particular variety of melon, once farmed in every land of the Caserta province, also known as “Winter Melon” or “Christmas Melon”. Thanks to some entrepreneurs from Capua, this delicious first fruit has escaped extinction.
CAPUANELLA ARTICHOKE
The first testimonies of the Capuanella Artichoke, unique in the tenderness of its leaves and heart, appeared during the Bourbon Age; while its biggest production development is due to the agricultural remediations of the early 1930s. Today it’s farmed in the Porta Roma area of Capua by a few family-run farms.
CORNIOLA’S OIL
During the 1950s, farming of the “Corniola Olivastra” had stopped. Luckily, a local farm, with land immersed in the ancient Volturno plain, has meticulously safeguarded and recovered the native “Corniola” variety. The precious E.V.O. biological oil, rich in polyphenols, is nowadays back at the top of the excellencies from the Campania region.
CAPOTEMPO CHEESE
The “Capotempo di Capua” is a semi-hard paste cheese made from whole milk, with a flowery crust that, after the aging process, is soaked in white Pallagrello wine. This cheese was served at the Bourbon court; its first evidence comes from the “Geographical dictionary of the Reign of Naples” from 1976. Through the studies of a local entrepreneur, this royal cheese is now a must of many regional recipes.
The area called “Campania Felix”, in which the ancient Capua belonged, boasts a group of diverse biological companies dedicated to the production of oils, preserves, juices, fresh fruits and plants, accompanied by educational activities and zero-impact farmhouse foods.
Beekeeping has seen a second life thanks to local projects, helping the artisanal production of honey and the survival of bees. A chef with one Michelin star has called one of her tasting menus “Maters”, honouring the collection of more than 130 statues of Matres Matutae available in the Museo Campano in Capua.
Wine and beverage
CASAVECCHIA WINE
The “Casavecchia” is a mysterious vine with peculiar characteristics. The only connection with wine-growing from the Campania region is the hypothesis that the “Trebulanum” praised by Pliny the Elder was none other than the “Casavecchia”. This wine with a strong body and intense red color has a noteworthy predisposition toward ageing.
PALLAGRELLO WINE
The “Pallagrello” white wine is native to Capua. It has small and spheric grapes, it has a different variety with black berries and it’s called li pallarell (little ball) in dialect. Its birth is due to the Greek colonisation; its farming has been continued by the Romans. This wine is produced in our territory by local farming companies that employ modern techniques but have a keen eye for strengthening their connection with the past and the earth.
Points of interest
Campania Museum
In Via Roma, one of the streets of the historic center of the city, the Campano Museum has been housed in the Palazzo Antignano since 1874. The site is the keeper of the famous tuf sculptures called Matres Matutae, many archaeological finds from the pre-Roman to medieval past and a remarkable art gallery.Inside the site there is a vast library connected to the municipal historical archive. The museum also houses the remains of the large, monumental gate on the Volturno built in Capua by the stupor mundi, Frederick I of Svevia. A treasure cofer of art and culture in the heart of the city.
Benedictine Basilica
Just outside Capua stands one of the symbolic buildings of medieval art: the Benedictine Basilica of San Michele Arcangelo. Built in the X century on a previous place of worship built on the ancient Roman temple of Diana Tifatina, completely rebuilt,at the behest of the abbot of Montecassino Desiderio, between 1072 and 1087, still today it shows, almost intact, one of the cycles of frescoes among the most important of Romanesque-Byzantineart. Areal “bibliapicta” for the humblest faithful who have crossed itst hreshold.
Cathedral of Maria SS.Assunta in Cielo and Diocesan Museum
In the heart of the city stands the bell tower of the Cathedral of Capua which, with its size, watches over it from above. The cathedral built by Bishop Landolfo in 856, restored and enlarged several times over the centuries, Ecclesiamater of the metropolis from 966 to 1979 was seriously damaged by the allied bombing of 9 September1943. Rebuilt in the 1950s, it still houses remarkable works of art: the column for Cereo Pasquale (12thcentury), the deposed Christ by Matteo Botiglieri (18thcentury), funeral monuments of bishops and warlords. The Archbishop’s Palace and the prestigious rooms on the noble floorhouse the Diocesan Museum, Episcope Section, which houses the Cathedral’s treasure accumulated over the milennial history oft he archdiocese.
Lombard churches
The original Capua still lives today in its streets.The three Court Churches, once close to the Palazzo dei Principi Lombardi where in 960 the famous Placito di Capua was held, the first attestation of an Italian vernacular used in an official document; San Rufo and Carponio testimony of the important permanence of themonks of the Regola of San Benedetto and many other sites will take you to the dawn of the history of the city.
Baroque churches
No monumental site in the city has been spared from the ongoing process of complete restoration or reconstruction. Between the 17th and1 8th centuries, all the main religious complexes and civil buildings were “covered” by the Baroque. The large dome of the Annunziata announce the presence of the city to visitors from a distance, while the lookout of the Charity offers a spectacular view of the entire Volturno plain. Precious canvases and finely crafted altars decorate the interiors of the large factories rebuilt during the period.
The city-fortress
Key to the Kingdom due to its strategic position, a fundamental place of passage to reach Naples from the northern borders, Capua has an imposing defensive system. Its walls, rebuilt and constantly expanded from its foundation to the 19th century, still clearly divides the historic center from the surrounding landscape. Inside the walls rise the Castle of the stones, the main city fortress until the 15th century and the most modern fortress of Charles V. Numerous baracks, powder magazines and underground military trenches dot the center of the fortress-city.
Chiave del Regno a causa della sua posizione strategica, luogo di passaggio fondamentale per raggiungere Napoli dai confini settentrionali, Capua presenta un imponente sistema difensivo. La sua cinta muraria, ricostruita e ampliata costantemente dalla fondazione al XIX sec, ancora oggi delimita in modo netto il centro storico dal paesaggio circostante. All’interno delle mura si ergono il Castello delle Pietre, la rocca cittadina principale fino al XV sec e la più moderna fortezza di Carlo V. Numerose caserme, polveriere e camminamenti militari sotterranei costellano il centro della città-fortezza.
Gran Sasso d'Italia (Campo Imperatore)
Overview
The Campo Imperatore plateau lies within the Gran Sasso d’Italia massif at an altitude of between 1,500 and 1,900 metres, not far from the city of L’Aquila.
L’Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, is an ancient city whose origins date back to 1254. Distinguished for its history and monuments, it experienced a period of extraordinary economic flourishing throughout the Middle Ages and up to the 16th century, becoming the second largest city in the Kingdom of Naples. Starting from the sixteenth century it housed a university and, towards the end of the fifteenth century, one of the first printing presses. Among its main monuments, which include important palaces, courtyards and churches, the basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio stands out, a jewel of the Abruzzo Romanesque style, built starting from 1288, with the majestic facade in white and pink stone decorated with rosettes; the basilica of S. Bernardino da Siena, dating back to the mid-15th century, with an elegantly sculpted white stone facade; the monumental Fontana delle 99 Spouts, dating back to the XIII century; the Romanesque churches of San Pietro da Coppito, with valuable theories of fresco paintings, and of San Silvestro, which, in addition to the remains of the original pictorial decoration, houses a copy of Raphael’s Visitation, the original of which is now in the Prado; the baroque church of Santa Maria del Suffragio, built in memory of the victims of the dramatic earthquake of 1703, with a chapel designed by Valadier.
The monumental evidences are framed by a naturalistic context of rare charm, since the city rises at the foot of the Gran Sasso d’Italia massif, surrounded by a mountain habitat rich in woodland and fauna peculiarities and by villages and castles of considerable historical and monumental importance, in an area that is included in two national parks.
The main event, with an important historical and spiritual value and with a significant identity connotation, is the Celestinian Pardon, included in the UNESCO intangible heritage list, an annual jubilee, which takes place from 23 to 29 August and takes its name from the Bull of Forgiveness , the document with which the Holy Pope Celestine V, the day after his coronation as pope, which took place on 28 August 1294 in the basilica of Collemaggio, wanted to give a plenary indulgence to anyone who had crossed the Holy Door of the Basilica of Collemaggio, between the vespers of 28 and those of 29 August. The event, which includes a rich program of cultural events, sees its main moments in the opening ceremony, on August 23, with the arrival of the Morrone Fire, after a route that follows the itinerary taken by Celestino V to reach L ‘Aquila from the Hermitage of Morrone, near Sulmona, and in the Historic Procession of 28 August, with which the precious parchment is escorted from the Municipal residence to the basilica, where it will remain on display for 24 hours. The 2022 edition of the event saw the historic presence of Pope Francis, the first pontiff in history to preside over the solemn opening ceremony of the Holy Door, who, as a further tribute to the City, wanted to extend the Celestinian Jubilee until 2023.
Food
The city of L’Aquila and its territory have numerous food and wine excellences.
In particular, the saffron, the lentils of Santo Stefano stand out above all, as well as various types of native legumes, and the nougat, a typical dessert of the Christmas tradition. Other typical products of the area are also very well known, such as dairy products, cheeses and cured meats, which have particular processes, as well as liqueurs, among which the gentian one is particularly appreciated.
Traditional sweets recipes are more elaborate. The famous Torrone (nougat) is made with chocolate, hazel-nuts, honey and a taste of cinnamon. Biscuits, called Ferratelle, are also typical of the area and are hand-made with a decorated iron.
Wine and beverage
Each dish should be accompanied by a good Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine. Other noble wine is called Cerasuolo Aquilano, popular pink wine from Abruzzo.
Points of interest
The first urban itinerary begins at the basilica of Collemaggio, an exquisite example of Abruzzo architecture in a mixture of architectural styles, from Gothic to Baroque, founded in 1288 by Pietro del Morrone. Of note, the 15th-century façade with its two-tone geometric white-and-pink intarsia, and three portals surmounted by as many rosettes. The interior shows a long nave, with two aisles and a transept, closed by three apses, and 14th–15th-century frescoes.
Just 200m south we find Parco del Sole, with its lovely natural setting that is home to a playground, a nature trail and a performing arts site housing Beverly Pepper’s Amphisculpture.
The second itinerary starts from the church of Santa Maria del Soccorso (15th century), located to the north-east, outside the urban walls. A striking fusion of Medieval and Renaissance elements, once again using the white–pink intarsia with horizontal listing, it has two distinctive towers. Moving northeast on Viale Panella and then on Via Pescara, we arrive at the Porta Castello gate, erected at the same time as the Spanish fort (16th century). Entering the park, we appreciate the magnificence of the castle. The square-plan building has an inner court with four large corner bastions and is protected by a huge moat, with an imposing masonry bridge accessing the fortress. Nearby we find the Auditorium del Parco, a modern wooden performing arts venue, designed by Renzo Piano after the 2009 earthquake. Leaving Piazza Battaglione Alpini, we find the Fontana Luminosa fountain, one of L’Aquila’s iconic monuments, designed by Nicola D’Antino. Just 100m along Via Tre Spighe, we find the Medieval Convent of Sant’Amico with the 15th-century fresco and portal lunette
Returning to the Fontana Luminosa and heading down Corso Vittorio Emanuele, on the left we find the Nettuno fountain (1881), commemorating Queen Margaret of Austria. Another 200m and we come to the junction with Via Verdi, which leads to the Teatro Comunale (19th century) with its horseshoe interior and stalls, seating 600.
Nearby there is the magnificent basilica of San Bernardino (15th century), in a panoramic position at the top of the staircase in Via Fortebraccio. The three-order façade is by Cola dell’Amatrice (1525) and the grand Latin-cross interior has a nave and two aisles, with large side chapels, one with a splendid altarpiece by Andrea della Robbia. The majestic wooden ceiling, the monumental organ on the entrance choir (Ferdinando Mosca), and the marble tomb with the remains of San Bernardino (Silvestro dell’Aquila, 1505) are all stunning.
The third itinerary starts in piazza Duomo (13th century), with the coeval cathedral of San Massimo (currently closed for restoration), with its Classical revival façade. On the left, the church of Santa Maria del Suffragio (18th century), with an exquisite dome designed by Giuseppe Valadier. Restored after the 2009 earthquake thanks to the French government, the church is open from 9am to 6pm. The square has two fountains, by Nicola D’Antino and made in local stone, with twin bronze statues.
The last itinerary starts from the last gate, Porta di Poggio Santa Maria, added after the construction of the railway station (19th century). The fortified walls were about 4km in length and there were 12 gates with 86 towers. The main gates included Porta Rivera, located 400m further east. On the right, we find the scenic Fontana delle 99 Cannelle, a 13th-century fountain and the oldest public monument in the city. It consists of 93 stone masks and 6 single spouts, from which the water flows. Tradition says that the spouts represent the ninety-nine fortified villages involved in the foundation of L’Aquila in the 13th century. Opposite, we find the church of San Vito alla Rivera, of the same period as the walls, its continuous façade clad in white stone. The a lunette portal is flanked by two sundials.
We are near to the entrance to the MuNDA, national museum of Abruzzo, established in the early 1950s in the historic premises of the Spanish fort, where there are now seven rooms displaying a series of works highly representative of Abruzzo art, from the ancient Abruzzi civilizations to the Baroque period, with archaeological finds, sculptures and paintings (opening hours on the website).
