Sulmona camp restoration

One of the most important prisoner of war camps in Italy, Camp 78 Fonte d’Amore at Sulmona, in the Abruzzo region, is to be restored. The announcement, in January 2019, came as excellent news for all those who have campaigned for the dilapidated camp to be protected and for those with family ties to it.

The restoration will turn the camp, which housed PoWs in both World Wars, into a memorial park. The work is just part of a 12 million euro project, funded by the EU and the region, that will regenerate the historically rich Celestinian area of Sulmona at the foot of the Morrone mountains. The area, which commemorates Sulmona’s famous sons – Ovid and the 12th century Pope Celestine V (Peter of Morrone), who resigned in order to return to his hermitage – includes the Celestine abbey.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.