Overview
Collelongo is a large village on the slopes of Monte Malpasso in the Vallelonga, the ancient
Valle Transaquana. In this valley, for centuries, a wild and sometimes inaccessible nature has guarded
the secrets of the civilisations that have populated it, from prehistoric to Italic settlements, from Roman to medieval vestiges.
Today Collelongo is an important tourist destination both for its archaeological heritage and for
its geographical position within the outer protection limits of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park.
The high altimetrical development of the area is characterised by ample natural views of considerable biological and landscape interest with a variegated floristic and faunistic presence.
An island in the midst of history and nature, offering its inhabitants and numerous visitors a complete response to the needs of culture and leisure.
The local Archaeological Civic Museum will allow you to experience the ancient history of the town. Housed in the splendid 17th-century Palazzo Botticelli, which also houses a valuable library and a theatre, it contains valuable artefacts dating from around the 6th century BC and the 1st century AD. These finds come from the archaeological site in the nearby Amplero Valley, consisting of an acropolis, a village and two necropolises: a fortified city where the outline of the defensive walls can be glimpsed. You can admire grave goods, numerous tombstones and stelae, but above all a fine reproduction in pear wood of a beautiful bone bed dating back to the 1st century BC.
Continuing along the village streets, you will also move forward through the historical centuries: the Baronial Tower – placed to defend the village in the year 1000 – is an example of medieval testimony. It is characterised by a rather linear construction technique, based on the use of squared limestone ashlars. It was reinforced in the 14th century and in the Renaissance became the keep of the adjacent Baronial Palace.
But don't stop there. Moving on, you will find yourself in the delightful 19th-century Piazza di San Rocco and, a little further on, you will find the Fonte Vecchia, dating from 1840. The fountain is a fundamental place for the village, made of stone with anthropomorphic spouts sculpted by the sculptor Francesco Sansone. Collelongo is also an "open-air museum". The route through the village streets, which ends in the Casa del Tempo, a typical reconstruction of a 20th-century farmhouse, will guide you to discover the rural life and customs of this wonderful perched village.
Combining “business” with pleasure, the ideal time to visit Collelongo is 16 and 17 January, during the celebrations of Sant'Antonio Abate. On this occasion, many houses in the village put on the fire the traditional “cuttore”, a huge pot in which part of the corn harvested during the year is boiled.
In the evening, people eat “pizza roscia”, a focaccia baked under the ashes, made from a mixture of wheat and corn flour, topped with sausages, “ventresca” and cabbage sautéed in a pan. While you are in Collelongo, and you have already tasted two local specialities, we invite you to conclude your culinary experience with the “minestra impanata”, a way of using stale bread to make a warm soup by flavouring it with vegetables, onions, potatoes and beans.