Towns & Vilages

	Pescocostanzo Pescocostanzo is located in the “Altipiani Maggiori d’Abruzzo” area, at an altitude of 1400mt, among gorgeous and silent pastures, which are the natives reason of life. The ancient center, bornt from a mix of cultures that during years, more on 1440 to 1700, left several examples of baroc and rinascimental monuments. The artisanal tradition is still alive and is a real proof of the quality, experience and style coming from the past, as Tombolo (the making of lace pillow) and the working of wrought iron and watermarket. Pescocostanzo, with its unique naturalistic profile, is the right proposal both in summer than in winter time. More info
	Pratola Peligna and The Peligna Valley Pratola Peligna, with an actual population of more than 8000 inhabitants, is situated in the centre of Peligna Valley, on a pleasant hill. It is bathed by the rivers Sagittario, Rio and Valla. The history of Pratola, that added the term "PELIGNA" in 1863, is identifiable with that of the Peligna zone where, since ancient time, has been home to highly civilized populations. The first reports on Pratola, appears in records compiled in 998 AD (Libellum di Valva in loco Pratulea) which tell about “Alberto di Transarico di Valva who receives from Giovanni, Abbot of S. Vincent at the Volturno for 29 years, for 300 coins, land in Pratola." The history of this Countryside is tied everlastingly to that of the Celestini, to whom it was given September 20, 1294 by Charles II D'Angio, after the pontifical coronation of Fra Pietro da Marone, who took the name of Celestino V. More info
	Castel di Sangro Castel di Sangro, placed at 800 metres above sea level is considered the most important town of the Alto Sangro and Altopiano of the Cinquemiglia region, playing host to the regional office of the Mountain Community. The area features many high mountains with peaks above 2000 metres, the river Sangro and a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife. Tourism is steadily increasing, in part due to the excellent climate which permits wonderful excursions in the summer and opportunities to practice winter sports in the colder months. The Basilica of S. Maria Assunta is without doubt the most important church in Castel di Sangro. It stands in a dominant position on the high part of the town, and is clearly visible as one enters the town. More info
	Navelli Navelli is situated under the lee of a big and beautiful valley. Its name has two different origins. Someone tells that it comes from “nave”, ship, due to the valley conformation similar to a basin. Others tell that it comes from “Novelli”, which means nine villages, the number of the villages around. When the local men, backing home after a naval expedition, decided to put the picture of a ship in the flag, they also thought to change the name in Navelli. Thanks to the strategic position, Navelli, has been always an important economical and business centre. The saffron production is very important and it is a symbol of the village welfare. Since 3500 years the saffron fruit, the pistil of a little flower, is used to prepare medicines and as ingredient for many recipes. Local people show a great reverence to this little but very profitable fruit. Navelli, also has a pastoral tradition. During years hundreds of shepherds with their flocks, found here a place to rest during the night, sleeping into churches or simple huts. More info
	Sulmona Sulmona is a beautiful little city, situated in the valley of the Gizio, in a large basin formed by the junction of that river with several minor streams. It is known for being the Ovid native town, of whom there is a bronze statue in the square Piazza XX Settembre. Ovid, repeatedly alludes to Sulmona, and celebrates its salubrity, and the numerous streams of clear and perennial water in which its neighbourhood abounded. Its territory was fertile, both in corn and wine, and one district of it, the Pagus Fabianus, is particularly mentioned by Pliny, for the care bestowed on the irrigation of the vineyards. The history is really rich and we would give visitors the chance to discover it on their own. So, as follows, we just give some important notes. Sulmona was one of the principal cities of the Peligni, as an independent tribe, but no notice is found in history before the Roman conquest. The first mention of Sulmona occurs in the second Punic war, when its territory was ravaged by Hannibal. More info
	Alfedena Hidden in a wonderfully green landscape, Alfedena still shows medieval elements, such as the fine church of SS. Pietro e Paolo, as well as megalithic walls, a necropolis and an Italic temple. In pre-Roman times Alfedena was an important Samnite centre, as shown by the presence of a remarkable temple. Then in the Middle Ages it belonged to the Sangro County, and was seriously damaged during the II World War.
	Anversa Degli Abruzzi This picturesque village lies at the entrance of the spectacular canyon known as the Gole del Sagittario; in the medieval fortress, rebuilt in the XV century by the Count of Sangro, Gabriele D'Annunzio set his La fiaccola sotto il moggio. There is also an important W.W.F. protected area, the Oasi Naturale delle Gole del Sagittario and a Flora and Fauna Museum, located in an old watermill. Even if a necropolis dating back to the IV century B.C. was found at nearby Cave della Rena, Anversa is a medieval village, and belonged to many different families, among which the Di Sangro, Caldora, Di Procida, and Belprato. In the early XX century the town was famous for its "pignatari" (potmakers).
	Barrea It is located on the shore of the Lake of Barrea created after World War II, due to the building of a dam on the River Sangro. The commune was established in 1067 under the protectorate of the Duke of Spoleto. One side of the castle was protected from invaders by natural means, utilizing the impassably steep slope of the mountain; two stone castle gates afforded other protection. The homes were built into the slides of the mountain, giving out through front entrances facing on narrow, twisting, steep stone alleys. Its location surrounded by the Apennines prevented Barrea's development into an industrial area; historically, residents existed by tending small farms in plots on the mountainside, but that ended with the development of the lake. Today, Barrea is at the center of the National Park of Abruzzo, a natural area rich in wildlife and recreation. More info
	Campo Di Giove Situated along the road that connected the Sabina area with Sannio, Campo di Giove is an ancient village and was property of many families as Cantelmo, Caldora, Belprato, Pignatelli and Recupito. The centre still hosts the old buildings where visitors can admire the interesting architecture. Among the beautiful ancient houses there are Casa Quaranta of the XV century and Nanni Palace
	Cansano The village has pre-Romanic origins and was an important Medieval centre, governed from important families as Acquaviva and Cantelmo. Its Castle is one of the most enchanting of the Peligna Valley.
	Caramanico Terme The name Caramanico has different origins. Someone says that come from “Caro Monaco” a Carlo Magno relative, others that comes from “arimannia” a place where the “arimanni” (free men) met. The most important and rich period was when the D’Aquino Family governed the village. For its good water, Caramanico becomes an important thermal centre.
	Civitella Alfedena Civitella Alfedena lies in the Upper Sangro Valley at the foot of the Monti della Meta, on a gentle hill overlooking Lake Barrea, right in the heart of the Abruzzo National Park. The municipality comprises two important natural reserves, Colle Licco and Feudo Intramonti, very special environmental niches within the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo; an important feature is also the Museum of the Apennine Wolf. In the area important Neolithic remains (VII-III century B.C.) have been found. On the area a Marsian town known as Fresilia rose in antiquity, and not far away also Aufidena, a powerful Samnite citadel. The medieval village is first recorded in documents of the XI century.
	Corfinio Situated in the beautiful Peligna valley, Corfinio was the seat of the Valvensis Diocesis, whose ancient Cathedral was San Pelino, one of the most important medieval monuments in Abruzzo; the cathedral was first built in the V century and repeatedly destroyed, until it was finally rebuilt in the XI - XII centuries in the romanesque style. there is also an archeological museum with pieces from the ancient Roman town Corfinium.
	Gamberale The village has medieval origins and is situated among the rocks of the S.Antonio Mount, along the Sangro Valley. The houses are built around the castle (XIII century) and not too far there is the Gamberale lake.
	Guardiagrele Hometown of Nicola da Guardiagrele, unsurpassed master of Abruzzo jeweller's art, and "capital" of copper and wrought-iron crafts, this centre has also become universally famous as the "noble stone city" in D'Annunzio poem "Trionfo della morte". When you first arrive, you're welcomed by the sight of the Majella on the horizon, and the hills and calanques around. Inside the town, wherever you look, traces of a rich past appear from walls and common houses
	L’Aquila The province is the largest in Abruzzo and occupies the western part of the region; it is the only province that has no access to the sea, and includes the highest mountains of the Apennines (Gran Sasso, Maiella and Velino-Sirente). There are many rivers, such as the Aterno-Pescara, Sangro, Liri, Salto, Turano and an abundance of springs and water coming form the abundant snowfall. Besides the natural lakes of Scanno and Barrea there is the large artificial lake of Campotosto. In the Gran Sasso mountain there is also the southernmost glacier in Europe, called the Calderone. The province has a very low population density and a territory full of castles and fortified medieval boroughs on top of mountains. It included once the largest lake in the Italian peninsula, Lake Fucino, where in antiquity the Romans came on holiday, which was drained with the third biggest engineering project in the late 19th century (the other 2 being the Eiffel Tower and the Suez Canal). The Fucino land is today a flourishing agricultural area, and an important technological district in the region.
	Opi Situated in the very heart of the National Park of Abruzzo, in a wonderful natural amphitheatre created by mountains, Opi still has a medieval aspect. Among the most interesting thing to visit there are : the Municipal Building (1600) and the Madonna Assunta church medieval belfry.
	Pacentro It is a medieval centre situated in the ancient area of the Peligni, on the top of a hill closed to Morrone Mount a religious place where, San Pietro da Morrone, then Pope Celestino V, lived and built many churches and monasteries. The ancient centre, hosting the enchanting Castle, has stones streets and porticos. Among the most interesting monuments to visit there are : a beautiful fountain of 1600, the church of S.Maria Maggiore of late 500, the Municipal Building. The village is also famous to be the native place of the rock star Madonna’s parents.

	Pescasseroli The place, rich in water, woods and natural caves, was inhabited since prehistory, and probably Castel Mancino, thanks to its strategic position, was a citadel of the ancient Peligni population before the rise of the Roman civilization. In the early Middle Ages it was a fiefdom of the Counts of Celano, and then of the Di Sangro and the d'Aquino. The first mention is in a bull of Pope pasquale II, mentioning a church of "Sancti Pauli" in the jurisdiction of "pesculum serulae". On the ruins ot the Italic fortress, a castle was built in the 13th century to control access to the Sangro valley. The history of Pescasseroli is connected to its prevalently pastoral economy and woodwork (also traditionally a by-product of the long hours of idleness of shepherds guarding their flocks). The little town was the starting point of one of the great "tratturi" leading to the South and crossing present-day Molise to Apulia Pescasseroli lies in a wide plain amid a mountainous landscape of uncontaminated beauty in the heart of the National Park of Abruzzi, one of the most ancient natural parks established in Italy, and a model for a controlled development in protected areas. A little far away there are the springs of the Sangro river. The economy in the past was mostly based on sheep raising and wood crafts; after the unity of Italy the crisis of the agricultural and pastoral economy of the previous Kingdom of Naples led to a massive emigration. Later on the establishment of the National Park of Abruzzo, which was founded here on 9 september 1922, paved the way to a new development, and nowadays Pescasseroli is a residential area, a great craftwork centre, an important tourist resort both in summer and in winter, with its 20 km long ski-fields, and the starting point for many excursions in the Park.
	Pettorano Sul Gizio Pettorano rises along the southern boundary of the Peligna Valley along the road connecting Sulmona to the Cinque Miglia plateau, between the Gizio and Riaccio rivers. Thanks to the rivers, many mills and extravirgine oil plants could rise in the place, and the economy of the area came to be based on coppersmithery, spinning and weaving. The river Gizio forms spectacular gorges amid the high green mountains. Archaeological findings in the area of Mount Genzana show that the area was already inhabited since Palaeolithic times, mostly by hunters, who later turned into farmers and shepherds and therefore settled permanently in the area. In the Iron Age (VI¬V centuries B.C.) there was a flourishing fortified settlement in Monte Mitra. In the area called Vallelarga there are remains of Roman settlements, and a unique epigraphic fragment of the Edictum de pretiis rerum venalium of 301 A.D: by emperor Diocletianus, the only Greek specimen found in the Western area, is still kept in a house in Pettorano. In the Middle Ages the name Pectoranum started to appear in documents. In Norman times the castle of Pettorano was the seat of a large fiefdom occupying the whole Gizio Valley as far as Piano delle Cinquemiglia and the Sangro river, and rose in importance thanks to its strategic position at the entrance of the Peligna Valley. From 1310 to mid-XVIII century the territory was under the rule of the important Cantelmo family, who gave great men to the history of Southern Italy. The XVI-XVII-XVIII centuries were a period of economic and cultural splendor, still visible in the many palaces built at the time, such as Palazzo Croce, Palazzo Gravina, the Castaldina and Palazzo Vitto-Massei. Important lawyers, notaries and doctors made Pettorano a privileged destination for the populations of the surrounding centres. In the XIX century a great Abruzzese figure, notary Pietro De Stephanis, provided landmark studies in the history of the district and in 1865, while he was Mayor abolished the death penalty. The most important event maybe of the late XIX and early XX centuries was the massive emigration to South and Nrth America: in the early XX century Pettorano was, after Sulmona and Pratola, the largest centre in the Peligna Valley, with a population of over 5000 inhabitants, five times the present numbers.
	Pizzoferrato Its origin are medieval but the village was first mentioned by the XII century. Its is named the terrace of Abruzzo for its location on the top of a chalky peak overlooking the Sangro Valley. The castle and the S.Nicola church are interesting to visit.
	Rivisondoli Situated on a side of Mount Calvario, Rivisondoli is an important tourist center, especially in winter thanks to the many skiing facilities. Rivisondoli rose in the XII century in a strategic position along an important military and commercial route, the "Via degli Abruzzi" and was renowned for its production of weapons. A fire almost completely destroyed the village in 1792. Fortunately the establishment of the Sulmona¬ Isernia railway helped the development of tourism. In 1913 the Italian Royal Family had its residence here.
	Santo Stefano Di Sessanio The most accredited hypothesis is that the name Sessanio derives from a corruption of Sextantio, a small Roman settlement near the present-day town, probably six miles away from an important Roman pagus (village). The village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio is perhaps the most fascinating of all of man’s achievements in the entire Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e dei Monti della Laga. It is built entirely out of white limestone, which has become dulled with time. All the houses are covered with clay tiles, providing a harmonious overall view to those gazing down on it from the top of the Medici tower. The village is considered one of the most beautiful in Abruzzo, for its pure environmental values, architectural dignity and stylistic homogeneity. Its streets, which must be explored on foot, are extremely varied, from the steep stairs skirting the Church of Santa Maria in Ruvo (13th-14th century), to the twisting stone-paved streets that wind between the houses and lead to the Tower, to the long path created beneath the houses to protect them from the snow and the icy winter winds. Built during the rule of the Medici are the elegant arcades, the arched portals tiled with flower motifs, the stone windows finely crafted and decorated by expert hands, the marvellous mullioned windows and the balconies. The southeast gate bears the coat of arms of the Signoria of Florence, which left a small but precious grain of its refined civilization in these mountains. Although there are no real fortified walls, the village is entirely surrounded by an unbroken line of buildings, which served as both houses and defence walls, as is further evidenced by their very few and small windows. Walking through the tortuous streets, one may admire the 15th-century buildings, such as the Casa del Capitano (Captain’s House), and the tower built in the 1300s and improperly called the Medici tower, from the top of which there is an enchanting view that takes in the Tirino and Aterno valleys and stretches as far as the Sirente and Maiella mountain chains. The Church of Santo Stefano Protomartire, built in the 14th-15th century, has a single nave with five bays and an unusual presbytery area opening into chapels and a semicircular apse. Also important is the Church of the Madonna del Lago, from the 17th century, which stands just outside the walls, on the green shores of a small lake.
	Scanno Scanno has roman origins but the actual village is historically mentioned by the XI century. During the medieval era it was a “di Sangro” fief. The centre is really interesting and visitors can admire the beauties usually immortalized by important photographer as: Cartier-Bresson, Giacomelli, Scianna. More info
	Tagliacozzo The village is famous for the battle between Carlo D’Angio’ and Corradino di Svevia (1268), really important as it represents the Hohenstaufen dynasty, and described by Dante in the Inferno (Divina Commedia)
	Villetta Barrea An important tourist centre in the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Villetta Barrea is located on the left of the Sangro river, near the Barrea Lake, at the feet of the Mount Mattone (1800 mt) and has been completely rebuilt after the terrible 1915 earthquake. It is rich in landscape features: the pinewoods of pinus nigra, typical of the area, forests, and Lake Barrea, which is an artificial lake created after WWII by a dam on the Sangro river. The economy for thousands of years was based on sheep-raising, and when this ended by the late XIX century a large number of the residents were compelled to emigrate. Now a new economy centred on tourism is growing, thanks to the healthy climate and the powerful presence of the National Park. In the area important Bronze Age remains in the grotta Graziani and Samnitic pre-Roman buildings (megalythic polygonal walls at Fonte della Regina and tombs in the Piana di Decontra). Then the Romans occupied the area, as shown by the ruins of an acqueduct. Benedictine monks founded a monastery here, the Abbazia di Sant'Angelo in Barreggio in the VIII century, while the name of a medieval settlement first appears in some XIV century documents as Villa Vallis Regiae or simply Villa. Poet Benedetto Virgilio (1602-1667) was born here.