Patron saint festival In 68 days
Feast of Saint Thomas
📅 Every year, on 21 December
On 21 December Barrea celebrates its patron Saint Thomas; the town preserves the Castello Monumentale and hosts the Antiquarium of the Safine civilisation.
The valley was called Vallis Regia. The monastery of Sant'Angelo was destroyed by Saracens, and when in 1017 its properties passed to Montecassino it was the monks who put the village together: they wanted the scattered people of the valley gathered in one place, easier to defend. Then came the sheep: Alfonso of Aragon reopened the drove roads in 1447, and as long as the customs house lasted Barrea lived on transhumance.
In 1951 the Sangro was dammed and the lake was born: it makes electricity, fills the firefighting aircraft and brings the visitors, but it took the best fields, and people left. The earthquake of 1984 finished emptying the old centre, and many of the houses have been bought by people from outside.
🎉 Festivals and feasts in Barrea 1
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Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
Near Barrea
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Places to see within 25 km
Outside Barrea, but an easy day trip away.
Castello Sanfelice 📍 Bagnoli del Trigno · 4.1 km At 783 metres above Bagnoli, the fortress that guarded the Castel di Sangro-Lucera drove road. chiesa di San Silvestro 📍 Bagnoli del Trigno · 4.5 km A church with no façade, wedged between two rocks, and a crucifix with jointed arms. Castello d'Evoli 📍 Castropignano · 9.4 km Legend gives it 365 rooms: the d'Evoli stronghold above the Biferno valley Santuario italico di Pietrabbondante 📍 Pietrabbondante · 11 km The theatre and temples where the Pentri Samnites gathered their senate, above the Trigno. castello D'Alessandro 📍 Pescolanciano · 11 km A drawbridge finished in 1691, relics in the ducal chapel, German officers in 1943. torre di Oratino 📍 Oratino · 12 km A doorway high above the ground and a ladder to haul up: the Norman tower of Oratino.