The Basilica di Collemaggio has the only Holy Door outside the four Roman basilicas. Here is the complete guide.
Plan my Italy trip →The Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio (outside the eastern walls of L'Aquila — accessible from Rome in 1h30 by direct bus for €13) is the most important medieval building in Abruzzo and the site of the Perdonanza Celestiniana: the first Jubilee in Christian history, granted by Pope Celestine V in August 1294, which has been celebrated every August 28-29 in L'Aquila ever since. The 2009 earthquake severely damaged the basilica; restoration continues. Here is the complete guide.
Getting to L'Aquila and the Basilica di Collemaggio: From Rome: the direct bus from Roma Tiburtina bus station (the TUA regional bus — buy tickets at tua.it or at the Tiburtina ticket windows; Flixbus also serves the route) reaches L'Aquila in 1h30-1h45. The L'Aquila bus terminal is at Piazza Battaglione Alpini in the historic center; the Basilica di Collemaggio is 1km east of the city center, approximately 15 minutes walk through the Collemaggio park. From the highway: the A24 Roma-L'Aquila motorway (the "autostrada dei parchi" — the motorway through the Apennines that connects the Adriatic coast to Rome via L'Aquila) has the L'Aquila Ovest and L'Aquila Est exits. The Basilica di Collemaggio — what to see and when: The Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio (the 1287-1288 Romanesque-Gothic structure, commissioned by Pietro da Morrone — the founder of the Celestine order of monks who would become Pope Celestine V — on the hillside outside the L'Aquila walls, where the Virgin Mary had appeared to him in a vision) has the most distinctive facade in Abruzzo: the specific pink Maiella limestone and white limestone checkerboard pattern (the "opus regulatum" marble inlay — the same technique used in the Florentine and Lucca Romanesque facades but applied in a distinctly Abruzzese formal vocabulary) with three large rose windows and the three-arched portico. The interior: the interior was entirely rebuilt in the Baroque period (17th-18th century) and the current decoration has been in restoration since the 2009 earthquake; the specific monument to see is the Tomb of Pope Celestine V (the Renaissance marble tomb carved by Girolamo da Vicenza in 1517 — the sarcophagus decorated with reliefs showing the life of Celestine and his posthumous miracles). The Porta Santa (the Holy Door — the specific door in the right flank of the basilica that is opened once a year, on August 28-29, for the Perdonanza Celestiniana): this is the only Holy Door in Christendom outside the four Roman basilicas (San Pietro, San Giovanni in Laterano, San Paolo fuori le Mura, and Santa Maria Maggiore). The Perdonanza Celestiniana — the first Jubilee in history: Pope Celestine V (elected August 29, 1294 — the first pope elected from outside a cardinal's college in centuries, the hermit Pietro da Morrone who had no interest in the papacy and tried to refuse it) granted the Perdonanza ("forgiveness") to all who passed through the Porta Santa of Collemaggio between the evening of August 28 and the evening of August 29: the complete remission of sins, equivalent to the forgiveness of a pilgrimage to Rome. The Perdonanza of 1294 was the world's first Jubilee — it preceded the first Roman Jubilee (proclaimed by Boniface VIII in 1300 — who, according to some scholars, stole the concept directly from Celestine's innovation). Celestine abdicated 5 months after his election (December 13, 1294 — the only voluntary papal abdication between Gregory XII in 1415 and Benedict XVI in 2013); Dante placed "the great refusal" in the Inferno (III, 59-60), without naming Celestine explicitly. The UNESCO Inscription: the Perdonanza Celestiniana was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019. The 2009 earthquake and the restoration: The L'Aquila earthquake of April 6, 2009 (moment magnitude 6.3 — the most destructive Italian earthquake since the 1980 Irpinia quake; 309 deaths, 65,000 displaced, the historic center of L'Aquila heavily damaged) collapsed the Collemaggio bell tower and caused major structural cracks in the basilica walls and vaults. The restoration: the first phase (the emergency structural consolidation) was completed between 2009 and 2015; the second phase (the structural and decorative restoration of the facade and interior) was funded by the specific "Adopt a Cultural Monument" program launched by the Italian government after the earthquake, in which ENI (the Italian oil company) adopted the Collemaggio basilica for a restoration budget of approximately €10 million. The restoration was substantially completed in 2018-2019, in time for the Perdonanza UNESCO inscription.
Pietro da Morrone (nato a Isernia intorno al 1215, morto nel castello di Fumone il 19 maggio 1296) è la figura più straordinaria del papato medievale: un eremita che aveva trascorso 40 anni in preghiera sul Monte Morrone nell'Abruzzo interno, fondatore dell'Ordine dei Celestini (approvato da Clemente IV nel 1264), che fu eletto papa al Conclave di Perugia del 1294 dopo un'interruzione di 2 anni (il conclave più lungo della storia papale — i cardinali erano divisi tra le fazioni Colonna e Orsini e non riuscivano a eleggere nessun cardinale). Pietro da Morrone accettò l'elezione (come papa Celestino V), fu incoronato all'Aquila il 29 agosto 1294 nella Basilica di Collemaggio (lui stesso aveva scelto L'Aquila per la consacrazione — la città era l'alternativa abruzzese alla Roma che non voleva visitare), governò per 5 mesi e 8 giorni in modo caotico (distribuiva benefici ecclesiastici a chiunque li chiedesse, permetteva a Carlo II d'Angiò di controllare le nomine episcopali, era incapace di gestire la macchina burocratica della Curia romana), e si dimise il 13 dicembre 1294. Il suo successore Boniface VIII (il cardinal Benedetto Caetani — eletto subito dopo la rinuncia di Celestino) lo fece imprigionare nel castello di Fumone per evitare che venisse usato come pretesto per un concilio scismatico, e Celestino morì prigioniero nel 1296. Dante Alighieri (che aveva subito a Firenze le conseguenze politiche del pontificato di Bonifacio VIII, il papa che aveva mandato Carlo di Valois a Firenze per far esiliare i Bianchi tra cui Dante) mise nel terzo canto dell'Inferno "colui che fece per viltade il gran rifiuto" — l'interpretazione pressoché unanime identifica Celestino V, anche se Dante non lo nomina. L'ironia: Celestino V fu canonizzato nel 1313 da Clemente V (il papa avignonese che aveva trasferito la sede papale dalla Roma dei Caetani alla Provenza dei Valois) — il papa eremita che Dante aveva messo all'Inferno fu proclamato santo da una chiesa che aveva già abbandonato Roma.
Ten Italy travel facts from people who have been there 5+ times: (1) The chiesa aperta schedule: Italian churches open and close on schedules that are not always posted online — the most reliable source is the physical notice board at the church door. The typical Italian church opening hours: 7-8am to 12pm (morning), 3-4pm to 6-7pm (afternoon). Churches in active use (daily Mass celebrated) are reliably open at Mass times — typically 8am, 10am, and 6pm. (2) The Italian pharmacy as a medical clinic: The Italian farmacia (pharmacy) can diagnose and treat minor medical conditions without a doctor's appointment. For travel-related issues (sunburn, insect bites, mild infections, gastrointestinal problems, minor injuries), describe the symptoms to the pharmacist — they can recommend and sell prescription-equivalent treatments that would require a doctor's visit in the UK or US. The specific useful pharmacy products: Normix (rifaximin antibiotic for traveler's diarrhea — available without prescription at Italian pharmacies), Dioralyte equivalent rehydration salts, and Voltaren gel (diclofenac — anti-inflammatory for muscle injuries, available over-the-counter at Italian pharmacies). (3) The siesta reality: The midday closing (the "riposo" or "pausa pranzo") still affects many Italian shops, museums, and local services, particularly outside major tourist areas: Monday-Saturday, 1-4pm closures are standard in southern Italy, Sardinia, and rural areas; in northern Italian cities (Milan, Turin, Genoa) the midday closing is increasingly rare in the commercial center but survives in residential neighborhoods. The specific tourist implication: if you arrive at a sight or a shop between 1pm and 4pm outside major tourist cities and find it closed, wait or return — it will reopen. (4) The Italian museum free day trap: The first Sunday of every month, all state museums in Italy are free. The specific trap: this is the most crowded day at every major Italian museum — the Colosseum, the Uffizi, the Pompeii site are packed with Italian families and school groups who cannot visit on other days. If you want a free museum day and uncrowded conditions, the trade-off is impossible. (5) The Italian tabacchi opening hours: Italian tabacchi typically open at 7am (some at 6:30am) and close at 8pm — they are open through the midday break in most cases. The specific tabacchi services that save time: stamps for postcards (buy at the tabacchi, not at the post office — faster and same price); transport tickets for regional bus networks (ATAC Rome, ATM Milan, GTT Turin — many tabacchi sell network tickets that the vending machines run out of); tax payment services. (6) The Italian gelateria quality signals: Three specific signs of a quality gelateria: (a) the gelato is stored in covered metal containers (not displayed in high colorful mounds); (b) the flavors correspond to the season (no fresh strawberry in November, no pumpkin in July); (c) the pistachio is grey-green (the correct Bronte pistachio color) rather than fluorescent green (artificial coloring). (7) The Italian restaurant reservation call: Italian restaurants accept phone reservations even for single tables — calling directly (rather than using booking platforms) is often more successful for same-day or next-day reservations because restaurants sometimes hold tables back from online booking systems for direct calls. Ask: "Avete un tavolo per [number] persone stasera/domani sera?" (Do you have a table for [number] people tonight/tomorrow evening?). (8) The Italian motorway service stop strategy: The Autogrill (the Italian motorway service station) is a genuine food stop — the tramezzini (fresh crustless sandwiches), the espresso (genuine espresso), and the regional specialties (at the Autogrill near Parma: culatello and Parmigiano sandwiches; near Naples: sfogliatelle and pizza fritta at some stops) are consistently better than airport food at lower prices. (9) The vaporetto alternative in Venice: The traghetto (the gondola ferry service — the specific gondola that crosses the Grand Canal at 8 fixed crossing points where there is no bridge; €2 per crossing, standing only; operated by licensed gondoliers as a public service rather than a tourist attraction) is the fastest way to cross the Grand Canal at points where the nearest bridge is 500m+ away. The 8 traghetto crossing points in 2026: Santa Sofia, San Marcuola, San Toma, San Samuel, Santa Maria del Giglio, Dogana, Pescheria, Riva del Carbon. (10) The Italian wine restaurant markup: Italian restaurant wine markup is typically 200-300% over the retail price (a wine that costs €12 in a supermarket will be listed at €35-45 in a restaurant). The specific strategy for better restaurant wine value: ask for the "vino della casa" (house wine — the carafe wine that the restaurant serves from its own supply, typically at €6-10 per half-liter and representing the best price-to-quality ratio on the wine list) or ask the sommelier for the "vino locale" — the local wine that the restaurant buys directly from the nearest producer, often the best value by far.
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