Roccascalegna Castle

Roccascalegna Castle is a defensive structure located in the municipality of Roccascalegna, in the province of Chieti.

Located on the top of a rocky ledge, in a dominant position over the town, it has a very ancient foundation and underwent numerous additions between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It was built around the 11th-12th century when a simple watchtower of Lombard origin was enlarged.

The first mention of the castle dates back to 1525 when it tells of restorations of the castle itself. In the 16th century the walls were rebuilt higher than the previous ones but without battlements.

During the lordship of the Annecchino the existing towers were strengthened and a circular one was added.

However, the major interventions were carried out during the Carafa barony, a barony that lasted in the town between 1531 and 1600: the chapel of the Most Holy Rosary was erected in 1577 and the supply of rainwater was improved.

During the subsequent lordship of the Corvi, which lasted between 1600 and 1717, other interventions were seen, in particular after 1705 when the drawbridge was destroyed and the sentry box of the entrance and the protective wall of the access ramp were built. , restructuring noted in a notary document.

In the following years the castle, after years of neglect, saw various collapses including in 1940 that of the "Torre del Cuore" (so called for the coat of arms on the main door).

In 1985 the last owners, the Croce Nanni, donated the castle to the municipality which decided to restore it, which started in the 1990s and was completed in 1996.

After the restorations carried out in the last years of the twentieth century, the castle can be visited again.

Map: Roccascalegna Castle