The Italic temple of Schiavi d'Abruzzo, a Samnite sanctuary among the mountains of the Trigno
In the Chieti area, two Samnite temples over two thousand years old look out over the Trigno valley: a sober sacred site, and almost always deserted.
Foto: Marco Cirulli (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons
There are places that do not shout, and Schiavi d'Abruzzo is one of them. On top of a windswept hill, in the locality of Colle della Torre, survives one of the best-preserved Italic sanctuaries in central Italy: two temples of the Samnite era that for more than two thousand years have gazed over the Trigno valley and the mountains that separate Abruzzo from Molise. There is no crowd, no queue, almost no one at all. Only stone, grass and silence.
The two temples
The sacred area is laid out in two buildings. The larger temple, the older one, rises on a podium with a frontal staircase and is the heart of the complex; beside it, a second, smaller temple was added at a later time. The precise dates remain a subject of study, but archaeologists place the first phase between the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 2nd century BC, and the enlargement about a century later. On the threshold of the lesser temple an inscription in the Oscan language is still legible, a direct trace of the people who inhabited these lands.
The world of the Samnites
We were in the territory of the Samnite Pentri, on the edge of that of the Frentani. Small bronze statuettes of Hercules, a deity dear to the shepherds of these mountains, have emerged in the area. To walk today among the foundations is to cross the Italic world before Rome, when these heights were inhabited, sacred and alive.
The site is open-air, entrance is free, and the panoramic position does half the work: on clear days the gaze runs far, over the ridges and the woods. It is best to climb up from Schiavi d'Abruzzo, a village of a few hundred inhabitants, and to reckon with narrow roads and hairpin bends: they are part of the journey.
Responsible tourism
A piece of advice in the spirit of responsible tourism: respect the structures, do not climb on the remains, take your rubbish away with you, and stop in the village for a coffee or a meal. It is these small gestures, and the few euros spent in local businesses, that keep alive the places we choose not to overcrowd.
Related guides: Little-known archaeological sites in Italy: a guide to off-the-beaten-track places · The All Saints' long weekend: villages, foliage and thermal baths without tourists · Abruzzo in 3 days at a slow pace: the villages of the Gran Sasso away from the crowds.
Getting there
The Italic sanctuary stands in the locality of Colle della Torre, among the mountains of the Abruzzo hinterland near the Trigno, and is reachable practically only by car. From the A14 motorway you exit at Vasto Sud and take the trunk road that climbs inland as far as Schiavi d'Abruzzo. The reference airport is that of Pescara; rail and public transport links in this mountain area are very limited.
Practical guides for Roma
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Italic temple of Schiavi d'Abruzzo?
The recommended time is May, June, September and October, when it is less crowded.
Is The Italic temple of Schiavi d'Abruzzo crowded?
The Italic temple of Schiavi d'Abruzzo is a almost deserted destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is The Italic temple of Schiavi d'Abruzzo?
The Italic temple of Schiavi d'Abruzzo is located in Schiavi d'Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy.
Altre alternative a Paestum
Guide selezionate dalla nostra redazione, tutte alternative alla stessa meta affollata:
How to get there
- 🚆 Nearest station: Villa S. Maria ~18 km as the crow flies
- ✈️ Nearest airport: Aeroporto internazionale d'Abruzzo Pasquale Liberi PSR ~73 km as the crow flies
Nearest points as the crow flies (source OpenStreetMap): actual times depend on the roads, often mountain ones.
