Leonessa, an ancient village at 1000 metres above sea level, not only boasts palaces, gates and wall ruins, but also meadows, woods, valleys and streams, not to mention its healthy air.
Leonessa immersa nel verde
The jewel of the “town of San Giuseppe” is Porta Spoletina, a crenellated tower from the 1300s in pink stone, offering a view on Corso San Giuseppe Leonessano.
Porta Spoletina
The Porta Spoletina, together with the Northern Porta Aquilana and the Torre Angiovina (a nine-sided stone Tower dominating the almond-shaped village of Leonessa), are all that remains of the original defensive complex of Carlo I d’Angiò and today’s symbols of the town.
Almond-shaped town of Leonessa
The medieval village, renovated in the sixteenth century, hosts noble palaces, churches, and chapels. Worth visiting are the Fontana Margaritiana, commissioned by Ottavio Farnese and Margaret of Austria in 1552, and, at the end of the long Corso, the Church of San Pietro, and the Convent, with its elegant two-order loggia. Not to be missed is the Church of San Francesco, which preserves paintings from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
The surrounding mountains are perfect for skiing in winter and, from spring to autumn, they offer the opportunity of taking both easy and challenging excursions. An Adventure Park, immersed in a splendid beech forest, will even satisfy children needs.
Leonessa celebrates two traditional events, attended by residents and tourists.
The Palio del Velluto
At the end of June, the tournament Palio del Velluto, a historical re-enactment with 600 participants in elegant Renaissance costumes, will be held, while taverns will be serving Renaissance dishes.
The public of the events in Leonessa
In mid-October, the famous Leonessa Potato Festival, the precious local product, will be celebrated. Three yellow pupl varieties, considered among the finest in Italy, are grown in the area: the red skin Désirée, the white skin Agria, and the Marfona, with its smooth white peel.
Potato also dominates the local gastronomic tradition, together with meat and truffles, abounding in the area.
Leonessa has conquered the Orange Flag, a prestigious recognition awarded by the Italian Touring Club for tourism-environmental development.