Eremo di San Domenico (Prato Cardoso)

The hermitage of San Domenico with a breathtaking view of the lake, an enchanting place, surrounded by greenery located between the mountains of the municipality of "Villalago" in the province of L'Aquila. I was lucky enough to discover this splendid place by chance, for a wedding celebrated in a charming little church, so delightful and well looked after. The lake is wonderful with its emerald green colours, it is suitable for anyone who wants to relax and at the same time immerse themselves in the wonders that this place offers. I recommend visiting it. He stole my heart!

I recommend arriving at Lake San Domenico along the path that descends from the town of Villalago which allows you to have a spectacular view from above! In the lake there are picnic tables, some are designed to allow people in wheelchairs to sit. I recommend that elderly people and people with disabilities access the hermitage and the lake directly from the bridge built for access to the hermitage, the closest point.

Picturesque hermitage located close to what is now an artificial basin with waters of beautiful green and turquoise colours, coming from the sources of the Sega river (visible along the lake on the left, you can see small waterfalls). The small lake with pebble banks does not provide bathing, but behind it there is a pleasant and well-kept picnic area with various tables and a bar kiosk with some games for children. The kiosk would have a bathroom, but it is not always open. There is no parking, but if you find space, you can leave your car in one of the 3 parking areas on the main road. I leave some historical notes copied from the website of the municipality of Villalago to give historical information on the structure of the hermitage: "St. Domenico Abate, Benedictine monk and itinerant hermit born in Foligno in 951, died in Sore in 1031, around 1010 passed from the Aventine valley, on the eastern side of the Maiella, to that of Sagittario, establishing his home, called Prato Cardoso, in a natural cave opposite the source of the Sega river. Here he lived for some years in solitude, in prayer and in the most austere penances, earning, for his sanctity and the fame of his miracles, the admiration of the local inhabitants, who began to venerate him as their patron and tutelary deity. The retreat of Prato Cardoso soon became a place of worship and a hermitage was built there, which today is reflected in the clear waters of the artificial basin created in the 1920s with a dam on the Sagittario. In the small portico in front of the facade, which opens onto the lake with a graceful sixteenth-century mullioned window, 4 scenes are painted illustrating the same number of miracles of St. Dominic. Inside, which is accessed through a beautiful stone portal from the Renaissance period which has unfortunately been heavily repainted, there is a neo-Gothic style altar which houses the statue of the saint. The painted scagliola frontal dates back to an older era, having been created in 1761 by a certain Giuseppe Mancini commissioned by the Villalaghese hermit Francesco Iafolla, as can be read on the commemorative inscription. A door at the end of the building leads to a steep and narrow stone staircase that leads to the dark cave where until a few years ago the wooden beams on which the saint slept were kept, now transferred to the parish church after having been seriously damaged by a fire."

A magnificent place! A painted picture, unique emotions in the hermitage cave. The lake has water ranging from emerald green to sapphire where it is shallower, and the grove is equipped with benches and tables for lunch. There is a kiosk that makes sandwiches and has other things, it is not well stocked but it has what is necessary. There is a toilet behind the kiosk and a playground for children. I recommend it for anyone who wants to spend a truly relaxing day!

On the road to go to Lake Scanno you glimpse a bridge and you are amazed and excited after crossing it. The view from the mullioned windows is spectacular, enchanting. On the right you enter the cave where around the year 1000 San Domenico da Sora lived as a hermit, praying and performing miracles. Some of these are described in the paintings of the nearby church, such as the healing of a girl bitten by a poisonous snake.

Magnificent. A stone's throw from Lake Scanno, it opens up between the curves of the Sagittario gorges and is reflected in the emerald green water of Lake S. Domenico, artificial and adjacent. It is said that the same lake submerged the remains of a Roman village. The hermitage consists of the cave where the Saint lived and prayed for many years amidst hardship and illness around the year 1000, always in rectitude and contemplation. Near it stands a small church with a mullioned window overlooking the lake and the expanse that runs along it, through which you reach the waterfall and the panoramic route. The hermitage is connected by the main road with a bridge rebuilt on the remains of a medieval one thanks to the donations of the families of the post and surrounding areas. You can admire the wildlife that sails the waters of the lake. Enchanting place, splendid for meditating, relaxing and spending days with friends and family. Absolutely worth visiting.