Castiglione della Valle: The Ghost Village of Abruzzo between Wild Nature and the Legend of Lucrezia Borgia

On the way where time has stopped, in the places of Lucrezia Borgia inside the beautiful Fiumetto River Nature Reserve.

Discovering the Ghost Village of Castiglione della Valle and visiting the museum of the people of Gran Sasso.

In Abruzzo there are little-known places characterized by a unique charm.

Among these, the abandoned villages, evoke in the mind of a dreamer the sound of ancient battles, of trades now almost disappeared and the voices of the many inhabitants of the past present.

Castiglione della Valle is a ghost village located in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, in the municipality of Colledara, in the province of Teramo. This small village, now uninhabited pearl called the ancient Castrum Leonis Vallem Sicilianae, in the evocative Sicilian valley, once inhabited, known as Castrum ad Vallem, is set in the great valley where the clear waters of the Chiarino stream flow.

The village, abandoned due to the damage suffered by earthquakes, in particular that of 2009, and by the snowfalls of the following years. Although the houses are damaged and partly supported by metal structures, the village retains its beauty and charm, with a stone church overlooking the central square.

Mentioned for the first time in documents of 1276, it has a history linked to noble families such as the Savellie and Della Valle. The Savelli family held the property until the beginning of the 14th century. Subsequently, for about a century, he passed hands several times between the Della Valle and the Savelli themselves.

The story goes that Lucrezia Borgia stayed there on the run from her brother. It is assumed that it was born on the remains of a Roman villa and that it was abandoned over the centuries due to war events, epidemics or earthquakes.

The church of Castiglione della Valle, dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo, is an example of Romanesque architecture dating back to the 11th and 11th centuries. Inside, you can admire frescoes by the Spole painter Piermatteo Piergili, dating back to 1576, including a Madonna with Child and two angels.

Despite the abandoned appearance, Castiglione della Valle continues to attract attention, so much so that some of his images have also been used in musical video clips and in the documentary film "Papa Francesco - Un uomo di parola" by Wim Wenders, presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.

The municipality of Colledara is working on a project for the recovery of the village, with the aim of creating an ecological village, a village of tradition and a center of art, music and culture.

Castiglione della Valle is a ghost village with a fascinating history, an example of how nature and time can transform once inhabited places into evocative and mysterious scenarios. Visiting it means walking "in the footsteps of Lucrezia", between silent ruins and wild paths, following a path that had to escape and instead today evokes the escape itself: a lifestyle, a historical moment, an impalpable legend.

Imagine the silence that surrounds the square of the church of San Michele Arcangelo - its sailing bell tower dominates as a visual and spiritual anchor in a landscape of abandonment - and the educational pond of the visit center, elevated between eco-sustainable activities, glamping and naturalistic workshops blogcamminarenellastoria.wordpress.com.

It is a place that hurts and enchants at the same time: nature has regained every stone, transforming the village into an open-air museum of memory. Those who cross it feel the breath of a past given to the legend, but also the urgency not to forget.

The village is surrounded by the breathtaking views of the Gran Sasso d'Italia, falling within the beautiful territory of the Fiumetto River Nature Reserve. With its path among willoms, poplars, oaks and farnias, it represents an ecological corridor of great environmental value.

After the village you can visit the ancient Mill, which ground wheat for human food, near the Chiarino stream.

To conclude the excursion, don't miss the free visit (opening in the afternoon at 15.30) to the new museum of the Genti del Gran Sasso in the nearby Borgo di Tossicia (TE).

A great opportunity to share a journey immersed in the history, uncontaminated nature and traditions of the ancient Sicilian Valley, at the foot of the eastern side of the Gran Sasso d'Italia.

Excursion technical data:

Difficulty: E (Hirsing - easy)

Route length: about 7 km

Height difference: 250 m.

Duration: 4 hours (including stops)