Rocca Calascio with aperitif at sunset
An afternoon trip to Rocca Calascio to enjoy the view at sunset
Rocca Calascio is definitely worth a visit, either during an excursion to Campo Imperatore or, in order not to spend too much time within that already busy day, as a specific destination. In this case I recommend an afternoon trip so that you can be there perhaps to enjoy the view at sunset.
From Caporciano it is about a 30-minute drive to Calascio, going up through San Pio and being able to visit, along the way, the geometries of the historic center of Castelvecchio Calvisio.
We arrive in Calascio where, in addition to being able to enjoy coffee in one of the scenic cafes (e.g., Il Calascino) we suggest a visit to the jewelry “museum,” a private initiative of great interest and taste, where you can also buy pieces produced by the goldsmith who runs it together with his workshop.
The Rocca is about 200 meters higher in elevation, about 3 km along the road that connects it to the village. In high season the Rocca can be reached on foot or by shuttle bus. For the rest of the year you can drive up to a small clearing.
The medieval castle is now an icon of Abruzzo but, we might say, of Italy in general, having appeared in numerous promotional campaigns but also in films, most famously the medieval fantasy Lady Hawke with Michelle Pfeiffer.
A short walk through the old urban aggregate, long abandoned and now with several taverns and small artisan stores, leads to the high plateau, with the polygonal church on the right and the fortress on the left.
A fashion in recent years is to bring along the necessary for an aperitif to be consumed while sitting on the lawn or on a rock, admiring the sunset over the valley.
For the more sporty, it is possible to leave the car at the small lake in Santo Stefano di Sessanio and arrive at the fortress, in less than two hours, along the ridge trail. The return can be on foot, by the same road or by going down to Calascio and walking the 5 km of provincial road that separates the two centers. Better, in this case, to go with two cars, so that one can be left, in advance, in Calascio.
Castelvecchio Calvisio
Most interesting is the walled historic center with characteristic staircases cut out of the narrow alleys to allow the passage of some. Note the clock tower and the church of St. John the Baptist and, isolated outside the old town, the church of St. Cyprian with its ciborium
Calascio and its Rocca
The fortress of Calascio is one of the iconic images of Abruzzo and, today, of Italy, appearing in countless films and commercials.
The village overlooks a breathtaking panorama and offers various points of interest: the Church of St. Anthony the Abbot, that of St. Charles, noble palaces that testify, as in other villages in the area, to the wealth once generated by sheep, for their wool. Don’t miss the museum (workshop) of goldsmith art.
USEFUL INFO.
- The best route is up from San Pio delle Camere, Castelvecchio Calvisio, Calascio
- In the summer period, the suggestion is to avoid weekends, to avoid the peak of visitors
- Also in the summertime, you must park your car in one of the spaces set up at the edge of the village of Calascio from where shuttles depart to the Rocca, where you can get there on foot, either along the road or on the steep path that “cuts” the hairpin bends
- Upon request, Palazzo D’Alessandro can provide you with thermal bags and other equipment for your picnic aperitif, including, if you like, drinks and snacks.
REFERENCES
- Il Palazzo Locanda and Residence
Via Gabriele D’Annunzio, 13, 67020 Santo Stefano di Sessanio AQ
Phone: 328 161 5128 - Calascino Cafe
Provincial Road 7, 61, 67020 Calascio AQ
320 876 0658 - Museum of Jewelry – Calascio
Verna Jewelry
Email: info@vernaoro.it
Tel: +39 085380288
(The museum is private, contact to verify visits) - Consorzio Produttori del Canestrato di Castel del Monte
Strada Provinciale, 1
67020 Calascio (AQ)
Tel: 0862/930345
Whether you choose one of our suites or one of the apartments, Palazzo D’Alessandro welcomes you with harmonious spaces, refined atmospheres and an elegance that accompanies every moment of your stay.
