Roccascalegna castle on its sandstone spur, with the village below it

Castles and historic centres

Stone and defence

Four villages grown onto four different rocks — sandstone, limestone, gypsum — and each time a different urban shape.

32 km
A full day
Moderate
5 stops

In the Middle Ages the rock outcrops were chosen for the defence they offered. What came of it is a remarkable settlement pattern: at Casoli the houses wrap in rings around the tower and the streets break off at every ring; at Roccascalegna the castle takes up the whole crest; at Altino the village looks out over two valleys at once.

32 km in all between the first stop and the last, by car, with stops on foot. Approximate distance.

The stops

The Ducal Castle of Casoli

Casoli

The pentagonal spur tower, the D'Annunzio room, the hall devoted to Major Wigram.
The historic centre of Casoli

Casoli

Twelve streets, three gates, the Maiella stone storage jars and the building that housed the internees.
Roccascalegna castle

Roccascalegna

Four towers, rebuilt each time weapons changed. And a hand of blood.
Altino and its red gold

Altino

From the top you can see the Maiella, the valley of the Rio Secco and the bends of the Aventino all at once.
Torricella Peligna

Torricella Peligna

Nine hundred metres up, the Carricini, the Brigata Majella and a man mummified in the 17th century.