Overview
The picturesque village of Castelli is considered the homeland of ceramics. It is nestled in the unspoiled nature of the southeastern slope of Gran Sasso d'Italia, on a spur at the foot of Mount Camicia and it looks like a small miniature.
A must-see destination for those of you who are art lovers, Castelli is internationally famous for its artistic ceramic workmanship, and many fine pieces produced in this wonderful town are displayed in the world's most important museums. Its narrow streets, a true labyrinth of medieval paths, are full of artisan workshops.
A collection of precious evidence of castellan art from the 15th to the 20th century is housed in the Museum of Ceramics, which contains a very rich collection of majolica by the major castellan master potters. The exhibition itinerary tells the evolution of majolica art, from the earliest productions attested at the end of the 15th century, through the most famous 16th century majolica and the valuable 17th century objects in the compendium style, culminating in the masterpieces of the 17th and 18th century Historiate and Baroque, to the more recent 19th and 20th century works. A short distance from the town center, visit the country church of San Donato, an early 17th century jewel that houses inside a marvelous ceiling composed of 780 votive bricks majolica-tiled and painted between 1615 and 1617 in the style of the time. For this masterpiece, in 1963 Carlo Levi called it the "Sistine Chapel of Italian majolica".
Stop to admire the Church of St. John the Baptist, built in the 17th century, with numerous treasures, such as a polychrome wooden statue of a Madonna and Child and a mid-century majolica altarpiece attributed to Francesco Grue. Head out of the town into the nearby territory of Isola del Gran Sasso to reach the Church of San Giovanni ad Insulam, also known as al Mavone. It is an authentic masterpiece of Abruzzo Romanesque architecture, with a portal decorated in bas-relief and a three-aisle interior, separated by six arches on each side and a single apse behind the altar.
The Abruzzo culinary art is also confirmed in this characteristic village with a rich artistic tradition. Among the typical dishes, in addition to some classics of Abruzzo mountain cuisine such as arrosticini and various variations of lamb, we must mention the maltagliati with voliche (special herbs del Gran Sasso d'Italia) and the sheep alla callara, a sort of stew boiled over a low heat in a large copper container with typical flavours of the area.
Castelli is part of the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
