In 1294, Pietro da Morrone — a hermit who had spent decades in caves on the Majella mountains — was elected Pope Celestino V in this basilica. He never wanted it. He walked barefoot from his hermitage to L'Aquila, was crowned here, lasted five months, then became the first pope in history to resign. Dante put him in hell for it (Inferno III: "colui che fece per viltade il gran rifiuto" — he who made the great refusal through cowardice). Benedict XVI had a different view — he visited Celestino's tomb in 2009, placed his pallium on it, and resigned four years later. The basilica's pink-and-white stone facade, with its three rose windows and geometric patterns, is one of the masterpieces of Italian Romanesque-Gothic. The 2009 earthquake severely damaged it. The restoration (completed 2017, Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022) saved everything. Abruzzo guide →
Plan my Abruzzo trip →The facade: Alternating courses of pink (Majella limestone) and white (Prata d'Ansidonia stone) creating geometric patterns unique in Italian architecture. Three portals, three rose windows, and an overall composition of serene mathematical harmony. The Porta Santa: The left-side door opens only during the Perdonanza Celestiniana (August 28-29) — a plenary indulgence established by Celestino V in 1294, six years before Boniface VIII's first Jubilee. L'Aquila's Perdonanza is UNESCO Intangible Heritage and the oldest in Christianity. Interior: A single nave of austere beauty — stripped back during restoration to reveal original structures. The tomb of Celestino V (a Renaissance marble monument) contains his remains. The restoration inserted a modern glass floor section revealing archaeological layers below.
Address: Piazzale Collemaggio, L'Aquila. Entry: free. Hours: daily 8:30am-12:30pm and 3pm-6:30pm. Getting there: L'Aquila by bus from Rome Tiburtina (1.5h, ARPA bus), or car (1.5h via A24). No practical train. Duration: 30-45 minutes. Combine with: L'Aquila centro storico (earthquake reconstruction ongoing — a powerful experience), Fontana delle 99 Cannelle, Majella (1h south — where Celestino lived as a hermit), Campo Imperatore (30min — "Italy's Little Tibet").