| De Sanctis Castle | |
|---|---|
Castello De Sanctis | |
| Roccacasale | |
 Castle in Roccacasale | |
  De Sanctis Castle | |
| Type | Castle |
| Site history | |
| Built | 925 |
Castello De Sanctis (Italian for De Sanctis Castle) is a Middle Ages castle in Roccacasale, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo). [1]
Tradition holds that the castle was built in 925 AD by the Counts of Spoleto to control access to the Val di Sangro and the Altopiano delle Cinquemiglia. Between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the castle fell under the control of the Cantelmo family, and at the end of the 16th century it passed to the Barons De Sanctis until 1803, when it was destroyed by the French.
From 1994 to 1996, the castle was restored by the Municipality of Roccacasale, taking care of both the pedestrian access path and the remains, in addition to the creation of a structure that since 2004 has housed the Museum of Documentation and Popular Traditions.
The castle overlooks the road between Popoli Terme and Sulmona. It is a typical enclosure castle, similar to many others on the Altopiano di Navelli, such as San Pio delle Camere, Barisciano, or Fossa. The plan of the walls is triangular, and at the highest vertex of the triangle, there is a spur, partially collapsed, with a trapezoidal plan. The entrance to the castle, located along the downhill side facing the village, is controlled by a square tower, lacking the inner side. [2]
Unlike other enclosure castles in the province of L'Aquila, Roccacasale also has the remains of a baronial palace, indicating its use not only during times of danger for the village it defended. Continuous presence in the castle is also evidenced by other remains found within the enclosure, such as cisterns and foundations of other dwellings.
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. As of 2023, it has a population of 69,558 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the Aterno river, it is surrounded by the Apennine Mountains, with the Gran Sasso d'Italia to the north-east.
The province of L'Aquila is the largest, most mountainous and least densely populated province of the Abruzzo region of Italy. It comprises about half the landmass of Abruzzo and occupies the western part of the region. It has borders with the provinces of Teramo to the north, Pescara and Chieti to the east, Isernia to the south and Frosinone, Rome and Rieti to the west. Its capital is the city of L'Aquila.
Roccacasale is a comune in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Built on the slopes of the Monte della Rocca in the central Apennines, the village overlooks the Peligna Valley and the town of Sulmona.
A rocca is a type of Italian fortified stronghold or fortress, typically located on a hilltop, beneath or on which the inhabitants of a historically clustered village or town might take refuge at times of trouble. Generally under its owners' patronage, the settlement might hope to find prosperity in better times. A rocca might in reality be no grander than a fortified farmhouse. A more extensive rocca would be referred to as a castello.
De Sanctis may refer to:
Tourism in Abruzzo has become one of the most prosperous sectors in the economy of Abruzzo, and in recent years has seen a remarkable growth attracting numerous tourists from Italy and Europe. According to statistics, in 2021 arrivals totaled 1,330,887. A total of 5,197,765 arrivals were tourists, a figure that puts the region seventeenth among the Italian regions for numbers of tourists per year. A moderate support to tourism is also given to the Abruzzo Airport with many low cost and charter flights connecting the entire region with the rest of Europe.
The Piani di Pezza is a glacial-karstic-alluvial plain in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy. It is part of the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, located at an altitude of 1400/150 m above the sea level.
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Castello Piccolomini is a castle in Capestrano, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).
The Castle of Barisciano is a medieval castle in Barisciano, province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.
The Castle of Bominaco is a medieval castle in Bominaco, Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.
The Castle of Fossa is a Middle Ages castle in Fossa, province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.
The Castle of San Pio delle Camere is a medieval castle in San Pio delle Camere, province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.
Castello di Ocre is a medieval castle in Ocre, Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.
Rocca Orsini is a Middle Ages castle in Scurcola Marsicana, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).
The Castle of Sant'Eusanio Forconese is a medieval castle in Sant'Eusanio Forconese, Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.
Castello Cantelmo is a Middle Ages castle in Pettorano sul Gizio, province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern-central Italy.
Castello di Carsoli is a medieval castle in Carsoli, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo), central Italy.
Castello di Gagliano Aterno is a Middle Ages castle in Gagliano Aterno, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).
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42°07′33″N13°53′10″E / 42.1258°N 13.8862°E
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