FAI Spring Days — Palmoli: the medieval heart of the Vasto area

A fortified village in the heart of the Vasto area

The FAI Spring Days are the national event through which the National Trust for Italy (FAI) opens hundreds of usually inaccessible places to the public for an entire weekend. For the 2026 edition, the Abruzzo program chose Palmoli as its protagonist, a medieval village perched at over seven hundred meters above sea level in the hinterland of the Vasto area, in the province of Chieti. The openings are curated by the FAI Vasto Delegation, together with the Municipality of Palmoli, local associations, and numerous volunteers, who accompany visitors through stone alleys where, as they say, "time seems to have stood still."

The Marchesale Castle, symbol and soul of the village

The heart of the visit is the Marchesale Castle, which dominates the Treste Valley from above. The manor preserves a characteristic dodecagonal tower that incorporates an ancient circular tower, the noble palace, and the small church of San Carlo Borromeo. Today, the noble halls house the municipal offices, while the polygonal tower hosts the Civic Museum of Rural Tradition. During the FAI Days, the castle opened with two complementary routes: "The Castle of Palmoli: symbol and soul of the village," dedicated to defensive architecture and the halls of power, and "Weaves of popular life in the castle," focused on the trades and daily life of the medieval community.

Six routes to discover the town

The itinerary proposed by the Vasto Delegation is divided into six thematic routes that cross the entire town:

• The Castle of Palmoli, defensive architecture and halls of power;
• The Madonna del Carmine, a convent complex that serves as the religious and social hub of the village;
• In Capammonde, among the stone houses and narrow alleys of the ancient core;
• In Capabballe, with artisan workshops reopened for the occasion;
• Le Coste Spring, a historical-naturalistic itinerary towards the ancient spring;
• Weaves of popular life in the castle, dedicated to the anthropology of trades.

Between workshops of suspended time and ancient springs

The "In Capabballe, workshops of suspended time" route brought the town's ancient artisan workshops back to life, with extraordinary reopenings that tell the story of the village's economic life from the post-war period to the eighties. The historical-naturalistic trek towards the Le Coste spring, about 2.3 kilometers long, combined the discovery of the landscape with moments of folk music and theatrical storytelling, guiding visitors through nature and memory. Leading the public, in addition to FAI volunteers, were local experts, Environmental Hiking Guides, university students, and the apprentice guides from local high schools.

A heritage to be experienced in spring

The initiative, promoted throughout the peninsula, takes place with a voluntary contribution to support FAI, with priority access reserved for members. In Palmoli, the FAI Spring Days transform a small town in inland Abruzzo into a destination for slow discovery, ideal for those seeking authentic villages, views of the Treste Valley, and the pleasure of walking through history, craftsmanship, and popular tradition.