The SS487 leading to Carmanico Terme is a scenic mountain road, but narrow, steep and winding with many sharp switchbacks. While returning to Sulmona from Carmanico, we opted for the SS5/SS17 (hence the loop) which was faster with less stressful driving.

Thanks for this tip--I absolutely hate diving on narrow, steep, winding roads.

The fox photos are terrific! It's pretty funny that your wife assumed it was a cat. And I will definitely hike the La Scalelle trail in Valle dell'Orfento. It looks gorgeous and mercifully shady.

ETA: Based on your photos, it doesn't appear so, but have you needed poles for any of your walks? I typically do not use them.

What a region, the mountains, the forests, the villages.
Really wonderful report, thank you.

Leely, this was the second instance (after the little dog in Pennapiedmonte, Day 8 of this TR) of an animal acting as our tour guide for their town! My wife just assumed it was someone's pet, without looking at it closely! None of our walks required poles.

Adelaidean, thank you for following along and your words of encouragement.

On prior visits to Rome, we have somehow overlooked Castel Gandolfo. We decided to spend a night here, with a visit to the Papal Palace the next morning being the priority. We had a slight hiccup when our reservation was cancelled (due to the occasion of the Day of the Ascension), at rather short notice. So we had to shelve our plans to leisurely explore the Castelli Romani en route to Castel Gandolfo from Sulmona, and head there directly hoping to make it in time for a tour. Being a weekday, the last admission to the palace is 12:30pm, so this was tight - as we were driving in from Sulmona about 3 hours away.




Driving past Cocullo


Driving past Tivoli


Thankfully we reached well in time, and it wasn't crowded at all. Armed with our audio-guides, we explored the Gardens first, followed by the Palace itself.


Entring the courtyard, after buying our (new) tickets


The gardens, the astronomical dome visible


At the gardens, view of Lake Albano


Entering the "Secret Garden", accompanied by the Swiss Guard - this was a a place of private contemplation and relaxation for many former popes


A statue in the secret garden


Fountain


Fountain


Our self-guided tour itinerary led us next to the museums. These were some of the most interesting exhibits.


Displacement from WW2 led to Castel Gandolfo becoming a refugee camp


Lamentation of dead Christ by Bellini


View of Lake Albano from one of the outdoor terraces


Chair and guard of Pope Pius IX


Golden cross bearing angel by Bernini. Thrones and figures of court of Pope Pius IX in backdrop (the guy in blue is a tourist!)


We then walked down a hallway with portraits of the 20th century popes on either side. The wall also had a listing of all the 267 popes to date.








Pope Francis opened up the private apartments, which served as the summer residence of popes for 400 years, to the public in 2016. Ironically, he did not spend a single night here himself, and even rejected the papal apartments at the Vatican for more modest quarters. As a result, you now have access to sections previously reserved exclusively for the pope and his inner circle, including the bedroom, study, private chapel etc. - here are some of the most interesting sections.


The Swiss Hall, where guests were received


The Stoning of St Stephen, a tapestry by Rafael for the Sisitine Chapel currently on display here


Another hall


The Pope's library


The Pope's desk


The study


The Pope's bedroom


The Pope's private chapel


Gallery of Alexander VII, towards the end of the tour


We stepped out onto the cafe terrace for another view over Lake Albano. Back in the courtyard, we admired Pope John Paul II's car collection - if there's one thing we shared in common - I'm also a Mercedes fan!


View of lake from cafe outdoor terrace


The car collection in the courtyard


The car collection in the courtyard, the Popemobile !


Exiting the palace


View from steps of the Papal Palace



... TO BE CONTINUED

I enjoy seeing these pictures of Castel Gandolfo. I was there in 1960! One of my brothers and I were in a children's chorus, and we sang Schubert's Ave Maria​​​​​​ for Pope John XXIII. Of course, I was quite young, but I still remember them carrying him in.

Glad to hear this brought back fond memories, thank you for sharing.

After the tour of the Papal Palace, we checked into our apartment, and met our friendly host. Later that afternoon, we stepped out to explore the town itself, which is rather compact and charming. It's pretty much one street - Corso della Repubblica (lined with restaurants and shops) that runs down to the Villa Communale Gardens from the Papal palace.


Piazza della Liberta, with the papal palace at the back


View of the church - Chiesa Madre di San Tommaso da Villanova


Inside the church


Looking up at the dome


Along Corso della Repubblica


View of Lake Albano


Restaurant with lakeside view


Restaurant with lakeside view


Bylanes of Castel Gandolfo


My visit to Castel Gandolfo was also inspired by the fascinating movie The Two Popes (Netflix, 2019), which was extensively filmed here. One of my favourite memories from the trip is this photo I took of the Papal Palace in the late evening — a moment I’ve titled "The Two Priests".





To follow : Our final day of the trip, Day 21 (Rome)

We left Castel Gandolfo for Rome after breakfast, and returned the car painlessly at the FCO airport. Hertz/Dollar who had been very efficient at pickup, also handled the inspection, deposit reversal etc. expeditiously.

After checking into our B&B in Monti, we took the metro to Testaccio, a district we've never visited before. What Testaccio lacks in sights, it makes up for in food.


Arriving in Testaccio, view of the pyramid


At Testaccio Market


At Testaccio Market


Lunch time at the market


We gorged on pizza at the Big 3 in Testaccio Market - Langolo in Teglia, Da Teo and Casa Manco! Langolo was our favourite.


We visited the Giardini degli Aranci to enjoy views from the Terraza Belvedere Aventino.


Piazza Testaccio


The Giardini degli Aranci


Views from the garden


Views from the garden, St Peter's Dome in the distance


We also visited the Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino and Basilica dei Santi Bonifacio e Alessio next door to th garden. We ran out of patience to wait in a long line to peep through the keyhole for the iconic view of St. Peter’s, with some insensitive tourists taking forever at their turn.


Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino


Inside Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino


Basilica dei Santi Bonifacio e Alessio


Inside Basilica dei Santi Bonifacio e Alessio


View from belvedere behind Basilica dei Santi Bonifacio e Alessio


The queue for the famous keyhole


We passed by the Circo Massimo and Teatro di Marcello (both of which interestingly predate the Coloseum), before making it to the Centro Storico.


Circo Massimo


Teatro di Marcello


As recurring visitors to Rome, we chose to skip the Vatican altogether this time around and selectively visit some memorable spots, as we wandered aimlessly. In more recent times (post-covid), we've visited Rome at different times of the year - September, November and now May - none of which can be considered "high season". However, the crowds have only gotten larger, and sadly the experience worse (I empathise with the residents). Rome is still very special, but be prepared for queues, sometimes inordinately long, at major attractions, restaurants, even gelaterias.


Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (Vittoriano)


Largo di Torre Argentina (where Caesar was assasinated)


Piazza Navona


Tne Pantheon


Trevi Fountain


The Spanish Steps


Fountain at base of the Spanish Steps. A young foreign tourist, in the presence of his family, decided to jump in. Unimpressed, a local Italian guide asked him if he had forgotten to bathe.


It’s very difficult to resist our favourite bakery in Rome - Antico Forno Roscioli. Their flatbread pizza drizzled with pesto (which has become our ritual in Rome), is simply divine!






Yum!


We made a dash for Forno at Campo Di Fiori, but it was lowering its shutters as we arrived (sigh!).




We had been unusually disciplined about our gelato/dolce intake this trip, so we induldged at only a few places we haven’t tried before in Rome.


Brivido, Testaccio


Brivido, Testaccio - the freindly owner recommended their invention the "pistachiokrok", which was fantastic !


Gunther, Piazza di S. Eustachio -they generously offered several tastings of unqiue falvours, before we ordered


Gunther


Yum!


Later that evening, we visited one of our favourite churches in Rome — the stunning Santa Maria Maggiore, located just a short walk from our B&B. I remember our previous visits (years ago), when there were very few other people around, allowing us to admire the remarkably ornate interiors at our own pace. However, the church now draws much more attention, especially since 2023, when Pope Francis announced his intention to break tradition and be buried there rather than at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.


Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, glowing in the evening sunight


Entering the church


Inside, facing forward - absolutely stunning


Inside, facing backward, closer look at the gilded wooden ceiling


The understated burial niche (tomb) of Pope Francis


We could not resist the urge for a final wander around the Colosseum and Forums, before calling it a night. Rome is, undoubtedly, the most glorious open-air museum in the world.


View of Colosseum


View of the aches


Passing by the forums


The Forums, view of Capitoline Hill


Temple of Castor and Pollux


Trajan's market

In conclusion, this has been a very special trip. Abruzzo & Molise officially join the ranks of my most cherished Italian destinations (the Dolomites, Southern Tuscany...). A significant part of the charm is the untouched landscapes / limited urbanisation or industrial development and the absence of mass tourism. I really hope they get that delicate balance right between preservation and embracing economic growth in future.

Before signing off, I'd like to take a moment to remember Stu Dudley, former Fodorite and invaluable contributor to these forums. Stu deeply influenced my style of travel (as I'm sure many others) with his meticulous attention to detail and generous advice. I think Stu would have enjoyed visiting this region, although Val d'Orcia in Tuscany remained his unrivalled favourite.

Thank you for your patience and encouragement throughout this trip report. I hope you've enjoyed exploring Italy's hidden gems vicariously with me. Happy travels!

Bravo,
Anuj!!

Thank you, ANUJ, for this most wonderful report, it’s been a delight to follow your travels.

Thanks for this excellent report and all the lovely photos.

What an incredible trip and TR--thank you, ANUJ. The Abruzzo and Molise seem absolutely magical.

Hi ANUJ, here I am again with another question. I'm Isernia now (absolutely loving it, and have followed in your and your wife's footsteps quite a bit, although I seem only to manage 2 places a day on my day trips).

I am moving along to Scanno tomorrow, and I noted that you and ekscrunchy discussed different routes to get there. She drove to from Sulmona and you went east and then north, coming from Pescasseroli. I want to avoid twisty roads with sheer drop-offs, even if it means a longer drive. Was driving the Godi Pass on SR479 twisty with hairpin curves with drop-offs? I've been here in Molise for several days, driving to Carpinone, Agnone, Pietrabbondante, etc., and the roads haven't been remotely nerve-wracking.

If you have any details or advice, I'd be grateful. I've asked ChatGPT but he/she is giving contradictory advice.

Hi Leely2, from Isernia the logical route would be via Lake Barrea (spectacular) and up the SR 479 to Scanno. The SR 479 is a mountain road to Scanno, and then winds through the Sagittarius Gorge as you head from Scanno to Sulmona. It's not stressful in my opinion, and nowhere as treacherous as the SR487 that I reference elsewhere in the TR. The SR 479 is actually one of the most beautiful drives in Italy, personally I wouldn't give it a miss. You could use Google Street View to explore some of sections that appear challenging on Maps.

Enjoy your trip!

Thank you so much--it was an incredibly beautiful drive and not scary!

Great TR and pics. So much to absorb I will need to go back through it.

We will be arriving Naples Aug 2 for three days in Italy and have been to Amalfi, etc. so thinking of an alternative and found your trip report. My grandmother was born in Molise in a tiny village north east of Campobasso called Campolieto. My cousin visited last year and managed to get by with Google translate. Do you speak Italian? If not, how was the interaction with folks

Where did you stay in Termoli? Was it worth being there? or would you skip it on a shorter visit ,like ours in favor of Isernia or Campobasso?

ow did you identify the places you went to ahead of time?

Sorry if you covered this previously.

Hi geeper, glad you enjoyed the report. My Italian is very rudimentary, we got by with Google translate etc. We stayed at the wonderful Residenza Sveva https://www.residenzasveva.com/ - an albergo diffuso in Termoli. We enjoyed Termoli, which provided a coastal perspective to Molise vs Isernia which is further inland. Like most of our trips, I spent a lot of time researching and planning the itinerary, so our driving route, acco etc. was fully firmed up ahead of our visit.

thanks. Which company did you rent the car from and did you have any issues with ZTLs anywhere?

We rented from Avis/Budget via AutoEurope. The ZTLs are not particularly problematic
- there was always adequate parking outside the historic centre of the towns we visited and
- we had clear parking directions from our hotel/B&B hosts wherever we stayed