The castle at Roccascalegna sits on top of a limestone spur so sheer that from the valley road it looks fused to the rock, an effect that has made it one of the most photographed silhouettes in Abruzzo.
Built up in stages between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries, it was abandoned for much of the twentieth century before a long restoration reopened it to visitors. Local legend attaches a grim story to the site: a feudal lord who claimed the right to a bride's first night was killed by a groom disguised as his wife, and the tale is re-enacted each summer in the village below. Inside, narrow stone stairs lead past a chapel and a series of bare rooms to a terrace with views over the Sangro valley. Visits run on a timed schedule with a guide, since the approach and interior are too narrow for unrestricted crowds.
