What is Roccacasale known for?

Medieval rocca held by the Cantelmo and then the De Sanctis barons, destroyed by Napoleonic French troops in 1803. Long limestone ridge above the village, where Celestino V lived as a hermit before being elected pope in 1294. Inside the Parco Nazionale della Majella, on the western slope of the Morrone overlooking the Peligna valley and Sulmona.

Where is Roccacasale?

Roccacasale is a comune in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo region of Italy, about 68 kilometers from Pescara.

Abruzzo · L'Aquila

Roccacasale

A village of 597 on the slopes of Monte Morrone, under the ruins of a Cantelmo-De Sanctis castle blown up by Napoleon's army in 1803.

68 km / 42 mi

Nearest hub (Pescara)

597

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Roccacasale clings to the western slope of Monte Morrone, overlooking the Peligna valley and the town of Sulmona below. The settlement coalesced as a defensive borgo on the slopes directly under a rocca built before the year 1000 to guard the entrance to the Sangro valley and the Cinquemiglia plain against Saracen and Byzantine raids. In 1318 part of the territory passed to Giacomo Cantelmo. The Cantelmo family held the castle through the Renaissance, then in the late sixteenth century it passed to the De Sanctis barons. In 1803, in the wake of the Napoleonic wars, the French army destroyed the castle. Its ruins still crown the hill above the village. The Church of Sant'Michele Arcangelo, consecrated in 1579, stands inside the ancient walls. The commune lies inside the Maiella National Park and shares the long ridge of Monte Morrone, where Pope Celestino V spent decades as a hermit before his election in 1294.

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Gallery

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Known for

Castello De Sanctis
Ruined castle on the Monte Morrone slope above the village, Cantelmo and De Sanctis stronghold, blown up by French troops in 1803.
Chiesa di Sant'Michele Arcangelo
Parish church inside the ancient walls, consecrated 1579, with a baroque interior restored in the nineteenth century.
Borgo medievale
Stone houses arranged on terraces directly below the ruined castle, original medieval plan preserved.
Monte Morrone
Long limestone ridge above the village, 2,061 meters at its highest, hermitage country of Pope Celestino V before his 1294 election.
Parco Nazionale della Majella
Roccacasale sits inside the park, with trails climbing east up the Morrone toward the hermitages of Sant'Onofrio and San Pietro Celestino.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September through October are the best windows. The Morrone trails open in late spring and the slopes above the village hold wildflowers through June. October brings the Peligna valley harvest and clear light on the castle ruins. July and August can push past thirty-five degrees in the valley below, though the village stays cooler by a few degrees. November through March is quiet. Snow falls on the Morrone crest, the lower village stays accessible. Patron San Michele is celebrated on 29 September with a procession to the parish church. The Sagra delle Sagne, the local pasta festival, is held in mid-August.