Pacentro,
A beautiful medieval town in Abruzzo, Italy to explore
Pacentro is an exciting destination to reach as the scenic winding drive is part of the adventure. From our Abruzzo Vacation rental it should take around 1 hour and these trip pictures of Pacentro were made in early March.
Please do feel free to contact us and ask us how we can help you organize a guided tour to Pacentro.
Pacentro is a small preserved historic mountain village in Abruzzo, Italy that showcases some of the most beautiful examples of baroque, renaissance and medieval architecture. Pacentro is also one of the many villages in Abruzzo region of Italy that has been awarded with the title of Borghi piu belli d’Italia”or translated as “Most beautiful villages in Italy”
Pacentro is in Abruzzo’s Apennine Mountain Range and is 650 meters above sea level and due to its strategic historical position, Pacentro’s castle, Colle Castello stands majestically in this gorgeous medieval town that was built by Cantelmo lords in the 14th Century and in possession by several powerful families up until 1957 when the Cipriani-Avolio family sold the castle to the town government.
But notably (for popular culture) in 1901 and 1902 Gaetano Ciccone and Michelina Di Iulio the grandparents of Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (yes Madonna the singer) were born and where today her relatives still live.
Looking for a guided tour of Pacentro?
Contact us and we would be happy to help.
When driving through medieval towns and villages you will notice monuments dedicated to soldiers that were killed in war as this region was in direct confrontation of the most severe fighting of World War II. Pacentro mountain geographic location shielded the medieval town from air raids. However in 1943 the Nazi army occupied most of Italy including Pacentro and evacuated the Pacentrani where they were forced to endure hardships.
In 1944 the Italian Partisans and British Troops liberated Pacentro where the Pacentrani returned to find that their crops were ruined and personal property stolen. The end of the war led to many of the men emigrating abroad to South America, USA and Italian regions outside Abruzzo and by the1970s there was a dramatic depopulation of Pacentro from 4000 in 1911 to just under 1300.
Pacentro is also known as the home of the Queen of Pop. Madonna’s grandparents and relatives are from Pacentro and she has also visited to meet with her relatives.
Pacentro Festivals and Special Events
San Marco Evangelista (Pacentro’s Patron Saint day)
April 25
The Pacentro Procession of Corprus Christi (or Corpus Domini)
Falls a month after Easter
Festa del Ritorno
An event in July honoring the people who emigrated from Pacentro
Rievocazione Storica
A medieval festival parade in August that celebrates the feudal times of Pacentro’s Caldora lords
Madonna di Loreto / Corsa degli Zingari
On the first Sunday in September, Pacentro hosts a very popular procession and a barefoot race from the Mountains to the Church.
Madonna del SS. Rosario Procession falls in October and in November is Pacentro’s Feast of San Carlo Borromeo procession and in the Piazza Jainghi is an inflating of a giant hot air balloon
Our Villa puts you in the Centre of all things Italian in the Adriatic Coast of Italy’s Abruzzo region. Contact Daniela today to enquiry about booking your dream Italian villa.
I would like to visit the Abruzzo region and see Pacentro, where my mother’s family lived before emigrating to the United States. The pictures are lovely.
Im going to visit Pacentro, for a day on my next visit to Abruzzo!
Hi John, thank you for your post.
Aburzzo has so much to explore and I would definitely put Pacentro on the list of places to visit!
Warm regards/Daniela
My grandfather was from here would give anything if I could visit this Beauiful place.Maybe one day.
Please do feel free to send me an email – we can help to retrace your
family’s origins through Heritage, Ancestral Genealogy Services
Hi! I would love this. My family is from Pacentro!
Lauren DiNello Kruz
Hi Lauren, please do let us know when you are next in Abruzzo. We would love to arrange this for you 🙂
My grandparents and great grandparents were from Pacentro. I will be bringing my parents there in two weeks. Arriving June 2nd.
Welcome to Abruzzo! Pacentro is lovely!
The trip was wonderful and my father was so happy to see the village of his father and grandparents. We even got to see the house his father was born in. All the Pacentrani were so nice & wonderful and treated us like one of their own when they found out we were descendants of Pacentro.
Hello!
For a long time I have been wanting to visit Abruzzo and explore many of the surrounding Medieval Towns like Patentro. I look forward to visiting Pacentro soon!
My grandmother Michelina Di Cicco was from Pacentro, I look forward to visiting there someday.
Pacentro is a beautiful Medieval village that dates back to the 9th or 10th centuries. We spent a lovely memorable day driving up there and walking through pretty Pacentro.
My friend and I drove to Pacentro last week for a day out and it was a lovely experience. The drive there was an enjoyable in itself.
I would love to visit Pacentro where my father Albert Pasquale Pompeo was born! I have seen pictures of this beautiful town in Italy my whole life and would like to see his birthplace one day!
hi my grandparents were from Pacentro. The Battaglini’s I would love to visit their hometown and see some on the town where they were born . My family were born in 1906 and 1907 . I have a beautiful painting from their last visit of the piazza. I am going to be traveling to Italy in September to Rome and Sorrento and Capri . I am really hoping to find the exact location where they lived. My uncle Orlando and Flavia, Cercone used to travel there often. I want to experience in their memories
Ciao Linda, this all sounds very exciting. Feel free to let me know if would like me to have someone connect with you that specializes in retracing your family and relatives including a private meeting with the local mayor and a visit to the town hall with the registry of records of births, marriages, etc… We would love you to include Abruzzo as part of your trip to Italy. Daniela
I would like to visit in October. My father came to America in 1952. His parents were Angelina ciccone and carlo silvestri. Do you know what house they lived in? It would be great if I could rent it for a few days.
Hi Tony, we can help you connect with someone that specializes in genealogy and heritage tours of Abruzzo region that help retrace and reconnect with your ancestral family ties in Abruzzo. Please do feel free drop us an email through our “Contact Us” page for more details.
My brother, daughter and I just visited beautiful Pacentro just 2 weeks ago . My grandfather lived there until he was in 8th grade and then came to USA .His name was Nazareno DeLeonardis and my Grandmother wasn’t born in Pacentro but her family was from there and her name was Julietta Ciccone ( related to Madonna). We went to the mausoleum and think we found marker named De Leonardis (Panfilo) there were lots of Ciccones. Perhaps you can help us.
Ciao Robin, are you looking to track down where your grandfather lived in Pacentro, Abruzzo? If so I hope someone on our blog can help point you in the right direction. Or if you like perhaps next time your family is in Abruzzo we can help you with tracking down your heritage in Pacentro through one of our tour suppliers.