Description

Calascio is located near the Gran Sasso Mountain and the plateau of Campo Imperatore. It was founded in the early Middle Ages and the original name, Calaso, first appeared in a document that dates back to 816 and listed all the estates of the Volurnensi monks. The first part of the word, cala, means “mountain slope”.

The hamlet is characterized by a labyrinth of alleys where you will find houses, rock towers, squares, aristocratic houses, and churches – a testimony of the ancient wealth of the town. In the past, the town was especially famous for the wool trades.

Above the town you will find the district of Rocca Calascio, that in recent years has been rediscovered and restored. Nowadays, many tourists come here to visit the castle, the highest of all the Apennine Mountains, at about 1460 mts of altitude. The castle used to be an observation and communication point with the castles of the Adriatic coasts.

The medieval charm of the town convinced Richard Donner to shoot here his movie “Lady Hawke”.