Beautifully restored, the towering medieval castle at Roccascalegna is a memorable and majestic Abruzzo sightseeing must on your villa holiday for two.

Though there’s been a settlement at Roccascelegna since pre-Roman times, there’s no record of the castle before the 14th century. Over the next four hundred years though, it became a place of still-remembered myth and legend, replete with ghosts, hidden treasure, evil barons and bloody murder before being abandoned in the early 1700′s.

The oldest part of the castle is the Square Tower at its very pinnacle. It also features Roccascalegna’s greatest mystery. ..

Quick, delicious and easy to make from fresh local produce – Bruschetta is the perfect snack to make in your Abruzzo villa when you’re feeling a bit peckish !

Here’s another easy-to-fix bite – Bruschetta, which you’ll see on virtually every menu in Abruzzo…

In 1933, the village was severely damaged by an earthquake. Then as the Allies pushed northwards up the eastern side of Italy in 1943, Gessopalena was utterly destroyed by retreating Nazi forces. The surviving villagers moved down off that promontory and into what has now developed into modern Gessopalena. They left behind a haunting memorial…

If you’re in our Abruzzo holiday villas in early October, you’ll hardly be able to miss the 3-day party honoring Casoli’s patron saint Santa Reparata (who is shared, incidentally, with Nice and Florence). The street funfairs, music and parties; far too much to eat and drink; general jollity and truly thunderous nightly fireworks could be the highlight of your Abruzzo vacation…