Rocca Santa Maria

Rocca Santa Maria (TE) is located within the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. The territory extends in the most rugged and mountainous area of the province and borders the municipalities of Valle Castellana, Cortino and Torricella Sicura.

Why visit: Rocca Santa Maria has medieval origins and a rich history to tell, first as a bulwark of the Bourbon resistance to the demands of unity and then as the scene of the bloody clash that, in 1943, saw partisans and Germans opposing each other near the Martese Forest (according to legend, consecrated to the god Mars and also crossed by Hannibal).

The municipality, composed of several hamlets and districts, is rich in green pastures, wooded heights and springs with clear, pure waters that feed the Tordino and Castellano streams. The Bosco Martese today is a splendid wood in which to walk and admire nature in all its forms and colours. Near the Martese forest is the Ceppo area, at an altitude of 1,300 metres, known for its mushroom and strawberry picking, which is particularly interesting from a naturalistic point of view. The area is characterised by numerous springs that before reaching the Castellano River draw a whole scenography of waterfalls and natural water games.

What to see: Ruins of the Church of San Flaviano, the Church, probably erected in the last thirty years of the 13th century, re-proposes the theme of the religious artefact isolated from the built-up area. It is located on a ridge, in a predominant and lookout position with respect to the village, which is a few hundred metres further down the valley. The place of worship detached from the village is a characteristic that is also found in other villages in the area.

Church of Sant'Egidio in Acquaratola, a building known since 1324 Water mills Abandoned villages: Serra, Martese, Tavolero

What to eat: In the Martese forest there are numerous biotopes, rare officinal herbs, mushrooms of various species and the best quality with which delicious dishes such as tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms are prepared. Forest fruits such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries also abound.