Manoppello

The small village of Manoppello takes around a 30 minute drive to reach from
Abruzzo Villas. It is inhabited by just under 1000 people and located within the Majella Natoinal Park of
Abruzzo, Italy at 257 m. above sea level and worth the trip to explore in conjunction with other mountain villages.

Manoppello is characterized by buildings made of “Manoppello Stone” which would include the Manopello Roman Catholic churches: Manoppello Santuario del Volto Santo Shrine of the Holy Face, where the famous relic of Christ’s face appears on a veil is kept, together with the Holy Shroud of Turin, and visited by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2006. Other churches worth visiting would include: The Church of Santa Maria in Arabona and the Manoppello Church of San Francesco,

Manoppello was one of the most affected by the appalling tragedy which took place on August 8, 1956 in a coal mine in Marcinelle (Belgium), in which over 260 people lost their lives in the mine. Sadly 22 of the miners that died were children. A monument to the dead miners of Manoppello was created to commemorate this tragedy that affected Manoppello.