Majella National Park

The Majella rises to 2,793 metres at Monte Amaro, the second highest peak in the Apennines, in a massive block with deep valleys cut into its flanks. Hermits used those valleys from the early Middle Ages and built more than thirty hermitages into the rock, some little more than a wall closing a cave; Pietro da Morrone lived in several before being elected pope as Celestine V in 1294, resigning within months. The Orfento and Orta valleys hold narrow gorges and beech forest, some of it UNESCO-listed. The massif was declared a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2021. Wolves and chamois live here.

What you'll find

• The cliff hermitages - over thirty rock-built retreats in the valleys.
• The Celestine story - the hermit from these caves elected pope in 1294.
• Monte Amaro - the second highest Apennine summit at 2,793 metres.
• The Orfento gorge - a narrow valley of beech and clear water.

When to go

June to September for the high ground; snow lies late and the summit plateau is exposed with no water. Some valley routes need a permit issued locally.

Good to know

Access to certain valleys is capped and requires a free permit. The summit plateau has no water and no shelter. Hermitages are often a long walk in.

Nearby

Sulmona lies west; the Abruzzo park is southwest.

Key facts