The town, which was a Norman fief and then the territory of the Lords of Acquaviva, has retained its typical medieval urban layout, preserving the elegance of small but stately settings.
On your walk, at the entrance to the town just outside the walls, don’t miss the Church of the Santissima Annunziata: modified in several occasions over time, it has a Baroque façade dating back to 1754, while inside it preserves a wooden Crucifix from the late 1500s, an 18th-century majolica statue of Saint Anthony Abbot, the statues of Saint Imerio and the Blessed Migliorato and a Baroque wooden organ and choir.
Just outside the village a little gem awaits you, the Church of Santa Maria a Vico, where you will breathe in a relaxed and spiritual atmosphere. What is so special about it? It is the only monument in Abruzzo, preserved almost in its entirety, dating from before the year 1000, built on the ruins of a temple dedicated to Hercules. The façade was built using Roman workmanship, ‘ad opus spicatum’, with bricks placed in a herringbone arrangement. Since 1902, the church has been on the list of Italian National Monuments.
In the countryside, among the paths to walk, horse or bike along the “Strada delle Pinciaie”, you can see a few examples of the Pinciare, rural dwellings made of unbaked earth mixed with straw, chaff and pebbles.
Not far from the village, on the top of a wooded hill, you will find the rural Church of Sant’Angelo Abbamano, a simple Romanesque structure built on Roman constructions, perhaps a thermal bath or a cistern, whose basement and mosaic floor remain.
A special occasion to come and discover these wonders of Sant’Omero? You could coincide your visit with a goliardic event such as the Sagra del Baccalà (Salt Cod Festival), held towards the end of July: the right time to taste the local speciality, skilfully prepared in every possible way… baked with black olives, stewed, fried, roasted with mushrooms. And certainly seasoned with the excellent local extra virgin olive oil – it is no coincidence that Sant’Omero is part of the Città dell’Olio network.
