Abbey of Santa Maria Arabona - Manoppello (Province of Pescara)

The Cistercian abbey was erected in 1208 on the remains of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess of fertility and virginity Bona Dea.

The church is built on the Latin cross plan, with the nave ending in an apse housing the high altar, the construction plan is similar to the abbeys of Casamari and Fossanova in Lazio.

The church holds a unique richly decorated tabernacle and Paschal candle in Gothic style. Two chapels are set next to the choir, once they were the dining halls of the monks. The ancient "Door of Death" is the actual main entrance and on the right side an old sacristy leads to the monks dormitory through a staircase.

Beautiful frescos made by Antonio di Atri represent the Santa Coronata, the Crucifixion and the Virgin with the Child.

The old portal was rebuilt on the new façade and the portal connecting the entrance and the cloister leads now to the beautiful garden.

In 1798 the Barons Zambra from Chieti bought the abbey and they transformed it into an elegant palace with eighteen-century doors and windows, a wide garden and a fishery.

The Chapterhouse is the only well-preserved original part, a unique sample in Abruzzo.