Rocca Calascio

The majestic Rocca Calascio dominates the rocky spur on which it is built, offering breathtaking panoramas of the Gran Sasso massif. Built around the year 1000 to control the transhumance routes, it was the basis for the birth of the village below. The current walls and cylindrical towers date back to the end of the 15th century, and the fortress passed over time to the barons of Carapelle, to the Piccolomini, and finally to the Medici in 1579. The devastating earthquake of 1703 led to the abandonment of the fortress and the village, which remained uninhabited until the 20th century. Today, restored and enhanced, Rocca Calascio is one of Abruzzo's most iconic destinations, loved by tourists and enthusiasts of history and photography.