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Abruzzo · Chieti

Fossacesia

A hill town above the Costa dei Trabocchi whose Benedictine abbey, San Giovanni in Venere, stands on the site of a Roman temple and looks straight down the coast.

Known for

  • SAN GIOVANNI IN VENERE

    One of the principal Romanesque abbeys of Abruzzo, and the reason the town is on most itineraries.

  • OLIVE OIL

    The slopes between the abbey and the sea are planted almost entirely with olives.

  • THE VIA VERDE

    The northern trailhead of the coastal cycle path that runs south along the Costa dei Trabocchi.

Why come

Most people arrive at Fossacesia for the abbey and stay for the coast underneath it. San Giovanni in Venere was rebuilt in the twelfth century on ground that had held a temple to Venus, which is where the name comes from, and it sits on a shoulder of hill with the Adriatic laid out below and olive groves on every side. Down at sea level, Fossacesia Marina is the northern end of the Via Verde, the cycle path laid along the route of the old coastal railway, and the trabocchi themselves stand out over the water on their wooden legs.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Fossacesia’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

Fossacesia — photo 1
Fossacesia — photo 2

What to see

  • Abbazia di San Giovanni in Venere

    The Benedictine abbey above the coast, rebuilt in the twelfth century on the site of a Roman temple. The carved portal and the crypt are the reasons to climb up.

  • Via Verde della Costa dei Trabocchi

    The coastal cycle path on the old railway line. Fossacesia Marina is its northern trailhead.

  • The trabocchi

    The timber fishing platforms built out over the water along this stretch of coast. Several are still worked and a few serve dinner.

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Living here

  • Population 6,280

Common questions

What is Fossacesia known for?
Fossacesia is a hill town above the Costa dei Trabocchi whose Benedictine abbey, San Giovanni in Venere, stands on the site of a Roman temple and looks straight down the coast.
Where is Fossacesia?
Fossacesia is a comune in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo, at 142 meters above sea level.
When is the best time to visit Fossacesia?
Best in May–Sep. July is the warmest month, averaging 30 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 12 rain days.
Which other towns are like Fossacesia?
Miglianico, Mattinata and Gradara.
How many people live in Fossacesia?
6,280 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 142 m
  • Population: 6,280

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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