The Italian Ministry of Culture is turning construction sites into classrooms this autumn. Between 17 October and 15 , four landmark complexes in the provinces of Teramo and L’Aquila will welcome the public for complimentary, hour-long visits. The programme, part of the national “A decade after the quake (2016-2026)” initiative, aims to show how seismic restoration can coexist with the everyday life of historic buildings, while also unveiling artworks that have lain hidden for centuries.
Madonna delle Grazie Sanctuary – a medieval story in Teramo
On Saturday 17 October the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie in Teramo opens its doors from 11:00 to 18:00. Groups of up to 20 visitors will be admitted every hour, guided by experts from the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the provinces of L’Aquila and Teramo. The sanctuary, founded in 1153 as a Benedictine house dedicated to Sant’Angelo delle Donne, later became a home for the Observant Franciscans under fra Giacomo della Marca. Its present-day appearance reflects an extensive 19th-century reshaping.
Highlights include a Renaissance-style marble Madonna with Child attributed to Giovanni di Biasuccio, as well as a cloister and former refectory where recent restoration work has exposed fresco fragments previously concealed beneath plaster. Adjacent to the sanctuary, the archaeological area of Madonna delle Grazie offers additional exploration from 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00, thanks to coordinated efforts by the ABAP directorates of Chieti-Pescara, L’Aquila and Teramo.
Palazzo Ricci and San Domenico – aristocratic elegance in Capitignano
The second stop arrives on Saturday 24 October in Capitignano, a hillside town in the province of L’Aquila. From 09:00-13:00 and again from 14:00-18:00, visitors will be admitted in batches of 15 to explore Palazzo Ricci and the adjoining Chiesa di San Domenico. The palace, whose roots trace back to the 15th century, underwent major transformations during the 18th and 19th centuries. Renowned architects Giovanni and Raffaele Stern, together with Giuseppe Valadier, left their imprint, and the building even served as a summer residence for Pope Pio VI.
Inside, the ongoing conservation programme reveals original decorative schemes, while the former private chapel of San Domenico—now part of the complex—offers a glimpse of liturgical art concealed for decades. The event is coordinated by the local Prefecture, the Diocese of Teramo-Atri and the Comune di Teramo, underscoring a multi-institutional commitment to cultural stewardship.
Ex-Convent of San Giovanni – layers of history in Teramo’s centre
Saturday 14 November brings the focus back to Teramo, where the ex-Convent of San Giovanni opens from 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00. Hourly groups of no more than 15 participants will walk through a structure that began in the 14th century within the ancient Roman core of the city. The convent remained a religious institution until its suppression in 1861, after which it was repurposed as a school.
Current structural reinforcement works, initiated after the 2016 earthquake, have uncovered medieval masonry phases and a series of walls bearing traces of earlier frescoes. The Soprintendenza, in partnership with the Ministry’s cultural heritage department, uses the site as a living laboratory, allowing visitors to see how archaeological research and modern engineering converge in the preservation process.
Santa Maria delle Grazie – a Renaissance gem on the edge of Isola del Gran Sasso
The final itinerary point occurs on Sunday 15 November in the small mountain town of Isola del Gran Sasso. The Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie will be accessible from 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00, with hourly groups limited to 15 visitors. This modest Renaissance building, perched on the town’s fringe, houses the remnants of a 16th-century painting cycle that has only recently resurfaced thanks to meticulous consolidation efforts.
Professionals from the Soprintendenza ABAP explain how seismic stabilization—required after the 2016 tremor—has simultaneously created a window into the church’s artistic past. The newly visible frescoes depict biblical narratives in a style reminiscent of central Italian workshops, offering a rare look at regional artistic production during the Cinquecento.
Why the tour matters – heritage as a memory of reconstruction
Across all four locations, the programme underscores a central idea: cultural heritage functions as a collective memory of rebuilding. By inviting citizens and visitors into active restoration zones, the Ministry of Culture, the Department for Cultural Heritage, the Direction General ABAP and the local authorities transform what would otherwise be closed-door construction sites into transparent learning experiences. Participants leave not only with a deeper appreciation of the artistry hidden behind wall layers, but also with a tangible sense of how communities recover and reinterpret their past after natural disasters.
