Emotions of the past come to life again in the town-fortress of Civitella, undoubtedly one of the most representative and evocative sites of our Province. The solemn Bourbon Fortress is the emblem of Civitella and a masterpiece of military engineering, that expands over 25.000 metres  thus being the most important in Europe. 

Built  by the Spanish between 1564 an 1576 to resist against the enemy, this fortress has been the last to resist among the bulwarks of the Kingdom of Naples during the conflicts linked to the Risorgimento movement for the independence of Italy. In addition to the enviable panoramic position, the three splendid parade grounds, the ramparts, the inner communication trenches and the Museum illustrating the history of the fortress will amaze any visitor.

The symbols of the Town-fortress are also to be seen all over the little town, on its palaces and strong travertine houses with their wonderfully chiselled portals, in its mysterious and suggestive lanes, among which the “Ruetta, d’Italia la via più stretta” stands out for being the narrowest street in Italy. It is a hard task describing the many monuments that embellish the historical centre of Civitella: the 16th-century Church of S.Lorenzo with the adjoining crypt of the Beata Angiolina di Corbara and the silver and copper cross of S.Ubaldo, the Roman style Church of S.Francesco with its beautiful rose window and a valuable 15th-century choir. A few metres away stands the monument dedicated to the Irish hero Matteo Wade, commanding officer in 1806 when Civitella and the fort were laid to a siege by the French.

Further of interest are the Convent and the Church of Santa Chiara, both built in the early 1300 and the church of S. Maria degli Angeli, also known as “della scopa”, dating back sometime between the15th and the 16th century.

Not far from the little town, along the Salinello Gorge we find the Eremo di San Michele Arcangelo, a hermitage better known as Grotta di Sant'Angelo. Many stalactites and stalagmites decorate this wonderful hermitage where findings going back from the Neolithic to the Roman times have recently been dug up.

The Benedictine Abbey of Montesanto deserves a visit. Built on a wooded hill by S.Benedetto, it represents an actual “place for the soul” and has been one of the most flourishing Benedictine centres of the region.