Village of Loreto Aprutino (CH)

Province: Chieti - Elevation: 294 Population: 7228

The town is perched on a lush olives covered hillside by the mountain of Gran Sasso, few kilometers from Pescara. It is the land of the extra virgin olive oil and the castle Amorotti houses the interesting Museum od olive oil. There are many galleries in the old town: the museum of pottery inside the palace of the baron Giacomo Acerbo, the Museum of the Agricultural Culture with over than 900 objects and the archeological museum "Antiquarium" with a valuable archeological collection from Prehistory to Middle Ages.

The castle dates back to the 9th century, it has an irregular plan, since the castle was reconstructed and modified several times, and it was used also as military base and prison.

The church of St. Maria in Piano is a magnificent building, erected by the Lombardic and houses amazing frescos, the most famous is the fresco of Giudizio Universale (The Last Judgment) representing undressed souls of humans rising and descending to their fate, deliverance or punishment. During the White Sunday people celebrate the patron Saint Zopito with the ox of St. Zopito parading majestically through the streets of the town and it kneels down three times, the first one in front of the church of St. Antonio.