Overview
Climbing the rocky slopes of Mount Morrone, you reach the pretty village of Roccacasale. Protected by the Castle, its trusty guardian, it is the sentinel of the Conca Peligna, witness to a rich medieval life, made up of ladies and knights, horse riding and duels of honour.
The De Sanctis Castle has a peculiarity that we invite you to explore: it has a triangular plan with a trapezoidal tower at its apex. These features elevate it further towards the sky, increasing its dominance over the valley. Inside the perimeter, ruins of stone buildings are still preserved, with additional defensive structures: as you enter, you relive the glorious centuries of the past.
In the heart of Roccacasale, then, you’ll find the lovely Church of San Michele Arcangelo, dating back to 1579, with an eighteenth-century façade. In a niche in the façade there is a stone statue depicting the Archangel according to classical iconography, with wings and unsheathed sword, symbolising the fight against Satan, represented, in this case, by a dragon.
The history and beauty of the village, however, does not end there. Along your climb, just passing the village centre, you will reach a very important archaeological site, Colle delle Fate, at 725 metres above sea level. It is a fortified centre, still containing the remains of a long city wall, the discovery of which made it possible to identify the first settlements in the area in the Bronze Age.
What magical evidence, between ancient pre-Roman times and medieval glories. Would you ever miss out on the discovery of such beauties?
If all this really wasn't enough to convince you, then let's try to tempt you: pecorino cheese, la ranere, that is soaked and boiled maize salted with oil, garlic and chilli pepper, a simple but richly flavoured dish, frittata with crastatiegl, gnocchi and polenta, lu sanguinacce, a special cake made with very fresh pig's blood mixed with cooked must and boiled for about two hours together with orange peel, chopped almonds and walnuts, sugar, lard, flavoured with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. A culinary tradition closely linked to the products of animal breeding and agriculture.
We bet you are already organizing your weekend in Roccacasale!