Overview
Roccaraso is renowned for its sublime natural setting. It opens up to all those who wish to experience an unparalleled active holiday in the name of sport, but also for those who prefer moments of pure relaxation, enjoying the fresh and regenerating air of the high mountains.
Alongside its natural heritage, the calling card of this Apennine mountain village is its winter offer. Downhill runs for experts, beginners and children, snowboarding, nordic skiing, hiking and also ski-mountaineering, snowshoeing and dog sledding… thanks to its state-of-the-art ski facilities that cater for all needs, Roccaraso is the place for an unforgettable skiing holiday. The area has cable cars, chair lifts and ski lifts for over 60 kilometres of slopes, connected to the 48 kilometres of slopes of the Rivisondoli-Monte Pratello facilities.
Even in summer, Roccaraso is an ideal destination to regenerate in contact with nature. The large surrounding green areas – which allow excursions of all kinds – the flora and fauna typical of protected natural environments, and the climate are the perfect ingredients for a holiday of relaxation and psycho-physical wellbeing.
But Roccaraso is not only sport and wellness!
If you take a walk through the alleys of the mountain village, you can admire some of the artistic treasures of the place. We point out – right in front of the Rocca, an ancient castle tower dating back to before the 16th century and remodelled in the early 17th century – the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, which houses an original silver statue of the Neapolitan goldsmith school depicting Saint Hippolytus – the patron saint of Roccaraso – donated to the church by Baron Donato Berardino Angeloni in 1688.
Continuing the tour, we invite you to visit the Church of San Bernardino, built in 1851, as indicated by an inscription on the portal. The church – restored in 1715 and rebuilt in 1954 – has the simple rectangular layout of a Ticino-style mountain chapel, with a façade terminating in a triangle and a small triangular beam sheltering the entrance from the rain, with a single nave terminating in a semicircular apse.
In addition, the 18th-century Church of San Bartolomeo in Pietransieri is a must to see. It is characterised by an architraved portal surmounted by a central rectangular window, a single-nave inside with a wooden trussed ceiling, two side niches to house the saints, the paintings of the Stations of the Cross, and the head altar resting on the wooden-clad wall, with a monumental Crucifix.
While strolling and descending, you can take a break to enjoy the local cuisine. We suggest you try the “gnocchi”, the “polenta” with sautéed pork or mutton ragout, and the typical desserts such as “scaglie”, amaretti and “pizzelle”.
What else to see:
the Church of San Rocco
the Church of the Madonna delle Nevi
the Shrine of Caduti Senza Croce of Mount Zurrone
the Shrine of Caduti del Limmari