What is Crecchio known for?

On 9 September 1943 King Vittorio Emanuele III stopped here for one night during the flight from Rome to Brindisi. Castle museum collects the most important Lombard and Byzantine finds in the region, sixth and seventh centuries. Città del Vino member, surrounded by Montepulciano d'Abruzzo vineyards on the hills toward the coast.

Crecchio is a comune in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo region of Italy, about 37 kilometers from Pescara.

Abruzzo · Chieti

Crecchio

A 209-meter hill town between the Adriatic and the Maiella, capital of Italy for one night in 1943 when the king slept in its castle.

37 km / 23 mi

Nearest hub (Pescara)

2,608

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Crecchio is a hill townin the band of low ridges that runs from the Adriatic coast inland to the foothills of the Maiella. The Castello Ducale at its center is the reason it appears in textbooks. On the night of 9 September 1943, after the armistice with the Allies was announced, King Vittorio Emanuele III, Queen Elena, and Crown Prince Umberto fled Rome and stopped at the De Riseis castle for a single night before reaching the port of Ortona and sailing for Brindisi. For those hours Crecchio was effectively the capital of Italy. The castle was bombed by the Allies later in the war and reconstructed afterward, respecting its original Lombard, Norman, and Aragonese stratification. It now houses the Museo Archeologico dell'Abruzzo Bizantino e Altomedievale, which collects sixth- and seventh-century material from the surrounding territory.

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Gallery

5 photos · scroll →

Known for

Castello Ducale De Riseis-D'Aragona
Lombard core from the eighth century, Norman and Aragonese reworkings, four corner towers, host to the fleeing royal family on 9 September 1943.
Museo Archeologico dell'Abruzzo Bizantino e Altomedievale
Inside the castle, displays Lombard and Byzantine grave goods, ceramics, and weapons from the sixth and seventh centuries.
Centro storico
Medieval walled core preserved around the castle, narrow lanes and stone houses descending toward the open valley.
Chiesa di Santa Maria da Piedi
Parish church just below the castle, rebuilt over a medieval foundation, with a baroque interior.
Belvedere del castello
View east across hills of vineyards and olives toward the Adriatic, the coastline visible on clear days from the castle terrace.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September through October are the months that work. The hill catches breezes off the Adriatic twenty kilometers east, vineyards are green or coloring, and the castle terrace is comfortable late into the day. July and August are hot, with afternoon temperatures pushing thirty-five degrees on the valley floor below, though Crecchio's elevation gives some relief. November through March is quiet, with reduced museum hours. The grape harvest happens in late September across the surrounding hills. The Rievocazione Storica del 1943, reenacting the royal family's night at the castle, is held annually in early September.