Pescocostanzo: Lace and Baroque at 1,395 Metres Among the Snow-Covered Beeches of the Majella

There is a village in Abruzzo with the extraordinary ability to surprise every first-time visitor, even those who thought they knew the region well. Pescocostanzo, sitting at 1,395 metres on the Piano delle Cinquemiglia in the province of L'Aquila, is one of those places where history has left visible layers: seventeenth-century noble palaces, carved stone portals, and a collegiate church — Santa Maria del Colle — housing a sixteenth-century carved wooden ceiling among the finest in central-southern Italy.

Abruzzese Baroque under snow

In winter Pescocostanzo's old town takes on a special quality. Snow transforms the arcades and squares into something outside of time: you walk the cobbled streets practically alone, step into the collegiate church to warm up and find yourself gazing at the coffered ceiling for a long while, unhurried and unherded. The church also holds the Museum of Abruzzese Artistic Craftsmanship, which tells the story of the tombolo, the bobbin lace that the women of Pescocostanzo produce using a technique passed from mother to daughter: a few artisans still work in the village houses, and if you knock on the right door, you can sometimes watch the making.

The Bosco di Sant'Antonio in the snowy beech forest

A few kilometres from the village, the Bosco di Sant'Antonio is a centuries-old beech forest of about 550 hectares within the Majella National Park: one of the oldest and best-preserved woodlands in the Apennines. In winter, with deep snow, it becomes the ideal ground for snowshoe hikes — easy, well-marked trails through the silent forest among silvered trunks. Snowshoes can be rented in the village, and you set off on your own, with no guide required for the main routes.

Practical information

Pescocostanzo is reached from Sulmona in about 40 minutes by car along the SS17. In winter the road is generally passable but it is advisable to check conditions before setting out. The village trattorias serve local legume soups and lamb in various preparations; the go-to wine is Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Crowds are minimal even on weekends: the destination has not yet been discovered by winter mass tourism.