Eremo di Sant'Onofrio al Morrone

The Hermitage of Sant'Onofrio al Morrone is a Celestinian sanctuary on the slopes above Sulmona. Founded in 1293 by Pietro Angelerio, later Pope Celestine V, it preserves a church, oratory, cells and frescoes within a dramatic mountain setting.

Why it matters

Pietro Angelerio had lived as a hermit on Monte Morrone before formalising his community at this site. In 1294, envoys came to the hermitage to tell him he had been elected pope. After his brief papacy and resignation, the site remained associated with his life and the Celestinian order.

What to notice

The complex centres on a small barrel-vaulted church and an oratory behind it, whose painted ceiling is decorated with blue and stars. Frescoes attributed to Magister Gentilis include scenes of the Crucifixion and images of Celestine. A corridor leads to the cells associated with Pietro and his disciple Roberto da Salle; a rock-cut grotto below the church is linked to the hermit's prayer.

Context and history

Pietro settled on Monte Morrone in the thirteenth century, and the hermitage was established in 1293 under the dedication of Sant'Onofrio. After the suppression of the Celestinian order in 1807, the complex was abandoned. Bombing in 1943 caused serious damage, followed by reconstruction that preserved the original plan while changing parts of the exterior. A restoration campaign in the twenty-first century uncovered additional fifteenth-century paintings, including a Christ Pantocrator.