At 1,500 meter above sea level, the Castle of Rocca Calascio is the highest castle in the Apennines. The ruins seem to grow out of the rocky rise upon which the castle sits. The fortress attracts 100,000 tourists a year.

The fortress and its position was all about the sheep and the wool trade. From Rocca Calascio one can peer down at the routes, the roads and game trails that pass near the Abruzzo’s highest peak, the Gran Sasso. Destroyed in an earthquake in 1703, the castle has turned into an evocative set of ruins to visit, it’s window openings still framing the fantastic views of the countryside.