What to see in Francavilla al Mare? If you've landed on this page and are considering staying in this small town on the Adriatic coast, it's probably because you've been struck by the fine, golden sand, and the thought of the waves of a sea that has been a Blue Flag beach for years: the perfect sight and sound to let yourself be lulled and reconnect with the essentiality of daily life.
Francavilla al Mare is all this - sea and tranquility - but also a place with a deep connection to its cultural past, made of historical traditions, and its agricultural and maritime present.
The town was, in fact, the scene of an important cultural event at the end of the nineteenth century, the "Cenacolo Michettiano," a creative laboratory where artists and writers gathered to discuss and express their creativity, including the painter Francesco Paolo Michetti, from whom the Cenacolo takes its name, and the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. Today, this past is passed down through exhibitions, photographic reviews, concerts, and events, such as the historical walk A cena con gli artisti (Dinner with the Artists), during which the streets of the old town recount the nineteenth century with period furnishings, music, and costumes.
Another art form that aims to revive one of Abruzzo's historical traditions is papier-mâché craftsmanship. In Francavilla al Mare, there are master papier-mâché artists who hand-craft the sculptures for the floats of the Carnevale d'Abruzzo (Abruzzo Carnival); the event is held in February and repeated during the summer season.
Emphasizing the deep connection with the sea, every first of May, on the occasion of the feast of Santa Liberata, there is a traditional parade during which the statue of the saint is carried to the beach on the shoulders of fishermen and then boarded onto a procession of boats decorated for the occasion, traveling a stretch of sea that leads to the Pontile Sirena (Mermaid Pier), the true symbol of the city. It is from the pier that the traditional fuochi a mare (sea fireworks) begin and end, a spectacular fireworks display on the beach, which attracts many tourists and inhabitants from neighboring towns during the feast of the patron saint San Franco, on August 18th.
Francavilla is also a farming land, with many cultivated countryside plots, where vegetables and fruits of all kinds grow under the sun. The Francavilla strawberries are renowned, juicy and fragrant, and an event called Fiori e Fragole (Flowers and Strawberries) is dedicated to them.
If you want to discover more about our land, we have arranged an exploratory walk that starts from Magnolia and goes to the sea.