L’Aquila, Earthquake, Capoluogo d’Abruzzo, Terremoto, Perdonanza, Porta Santa, Celestino V, Federico II, Giubileo, G8 L’Aquila 2009

Calascio: the Middle Ages the central tower to its strategic position, was a "lighthouse" for all other castles in Abruzzo. The little village at its feet, abandoned for the past 50 years, has been revived thanks to the conversion of some of the info accomodation facilities

After being abandoned, the little villages near L’Aquila have come back to life, converted into a “diffuse hotel”

The mountains around L’Aquila preserve a highly interesting historical and architectural heritage, with their Medieval hilltop stone villages, forming part of the unspoilt landscape in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga Park. These settlements, unaffected by recent urban development, tell the story of this land. Built in the age of castles and surrounded by fortifications, these Abruzzo villages flourished thanks to the wool trade, and were gradually accodoned after Italian unification due to the impoverishmenu of vie local economy. Today, foreign investors and private associations – the most famous one joins together the most beautifol Medieval villages in Italy – endeavour to enhance these little settlements, now virtually deserted. Recently trasformed into a “diffuse hotel”, they have picked up the challenge of time and attract visitors with their archaic fascination. This is the base of Rocca Calascio, a tiny, isolated group of tower-homes overshadowed by the castle, at an altitude of 1,500 metres; the little mestone ruins, thanks to restoration, have been converted into accommodation facilities. Another jewel in stone that has been salvaged and brought back to life is Santo Stefano di Sessanio. Recostruction took place whit a sensitive attitude using old photographs, interviewing the local people and respecting the original facilities of the town centre hosting the Barony of Carapelle. Again, the transformation of the fortified houses into a hotel has allowed the architectural heritage to be enhanced, with suggestive results.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio: an extraordinarily beautiful village with a typically Medieval layout

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