Overlooking the sea and a symbol of the city, Palazzo d’Avalos dominates the landscape with its majesty and Neapolitan garden.

The former residence of the highly prestigious d’Avalos family, it is one of the most significant examples of Roman-style Renaissance architecture in Abruzzo in the second half of the 16th century. During the three centuries of D’Avalos lordship, from the end of the 15th century until the French occupation in 1799, the palace gradually took on the appearance of a palace, the seat of a real small local court.

It houses within it the Archaeological Museum, which documents the history of the city and the territory; the Art Gallery, with the works of Filippo Palizzi’s family of painters, a participant in the most important artistic currents of the 19th century; “Mediterranea,” the Contemporary Art collection with works by Italian and Spanish artists; and the Museum of Ancient Costume, which includes a collection of paintings depicting traditional clothing, as well as a collection of Abruzzi clothing from the early 19th and early 20th centuries.

The palace is also known for its spectacular Neapolitan garden facing the sea. Amidst boxwood hedges and rose bushes, it is possible to retrace the cross-shaped garden and the orthogonal paths, covered by a pergola, until you reach the wonderful panoramic terrace overlooking the Gulf of Gold.