Majella UNESCO Global Geopark

UNESCO Global Geopark, inscribed 2021, in Italy. The “Corsa degli zingari” is a unique event where the faith and endurance of participants are tested. Held every September in Pacentro, 30 men run barefoot through steep forest paths to reach the Church of the Madonna di Loreto. Walk the Celestine Way, a footpath connecting the hermitages of Maiella from L’Aquila to Ortona, following in the footsteps of Celestine V, the hermit pope. The traditional feast of the "serpari" in honour of San Domenico takes place every first Sunday of May. In the days before the festival, locals collect snakes from the surrounding forests to place on the float carried during the procession.