This is not an official Park walk but takes you through layers of history from Roman mythology and the Roman poet Ovid, Pope Celestine V’s hermitage to the brutal reminder of WWII concentration camps at Campo 78 set against the mighty Morrone mountains.
STARTNG POINT: Porta Japasseri – remnants of an old door that formed part of Sulmona’s defenses
END POINT: Fonte d’Amore – Source of Love fountain
TRAVEL TIME: 1hr
LENGTH: 4.5km
DIFFICULTY: Easy
WATER FOUNTAIN: Fonte d’Amore
RECOMMENDED TIME OF YEAR: Anytime – not recommended during hot midday summer sun
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF WALK WITH POINTS OF INTEREST
Start the walk at Porta Japasseri (today only the piers of the door remain). See map for the directions.
Just outside the Porta Japasseri lies a forlorn fountain Fontana Japasseri. Notice the Latin inscription above the fountain: “Pvblica impensa pvblicae commoditati erectvs AD MDC” (Public expenditure of public service erected 1600AD). The fountain is in the Parco Fluviale. You can make a detour and walk around the park. The entrance is just past the fountain. Although it is unkempt it has a certain charm and is cool in hot weather.
Remains of Porta Japasseri 
Fontana Japasseri
The first leg of the walk is on footpaths parallel to busy roads but there are nice views looking back to Sulmona and the mountains.
Walking out of town onto Via Carso there are modern colourful houses mixed in with older stone houses. Coming to the main roundabout there’s a quaint church (looks Spanish colonial style) but I couldn’t find out any info on it. Turn right onto Via Lamaccio heading towards the imposing Morrone mountains.
Looking back to Sulmona Quaint church along the walk
Keep going straight crossing the intersection where it turns into country road. This is a lovely area amongst gorgeous fields looked over by the Morrone and with a view of Pacentro to the right and the Badia (Celestine Abbey) to the left. You will also start to get a glimpse of the 13th century Eremo Sant’Onofrio al Morrone (hermitage) where Pope Celestine V lived before becoming Pope after a two year Conclave. Celestino V was on the throne for only four months before renouncing. The new Pope was afraid Celestino V would become an anti-pope and had him imprisoned. He died in prison in 1296.
Towards Morrone mountains Pacentro on the right Solar Farm
Turn left onto via Fonte. You will need to walk on the road but it is safe. You will reach Fonte d’Amore a small hamlet. The 2033 bus stops here. Consult the timetable however buses do not run on Sundays. Campo 78 is on the right.
Campo 78 was a concentration camp set up by the fascist regime during WWII to intern Allied prisoners. It is one of the best preserved prison camps in Italy and work is currently underway to open it to the public (scheduled late 2021). Channel 7 did a news report in 2019 on Australia’s connection with the camp.
There’s a small track where you can go up to the entrance. It’s quite eerie to see the barbed wire and prison towers still in place. There’s also a memorial plaque to Francesco Santoro (although initially he was a soldier with the Italian army, in 1943 he joined the partisans (partigiani) and became an informant. He was killed trying to flee his German captives near Fonte d’Amore).
Campo 78 Inside the camp
Walk a few metres down via fonte d’amore where the fountain lies within a picnic area. Although it is known as the Source of Love – this fountain looks very much unloved at the moment! The precise age of the fountain is unknown. According to Roman legend the water possessed aphrodisiac properties and was linked to the nearby Hercoles Curino sanctuary. The Roman Poet Ovid who was born in Sulmona in 43BC, also wrote of the waters of Sulmona. There is a sign here with Ovid’s words:
Sulmo mihi patria est gelidis uberrimus undis. milia qui novies distat ab urbe decem
Ovid Trista (‘Sorrows’) Book IV.10
Sulmona my homeland, rich of icy waters. Ninety miles from Rome.
Fonte d’Amore Fonte d’amore picnic area with Ovid sign
You can continue onto the Badia: Celestinian Abbey of Santo Spirito al Morrone (another 1:10hr back to Sulmona) or go back the way you came.
How to get to Sulmona by public transport
Sulmona has good public transport connections. The train station is a 20 minute walk from historic centre or there are local buses that run regularly from the train station into the centre. You can also go to Fonte d’Amore by No. 2033 public bus.
Consult TUA’s website for updated timetable.