Castle of Rocca Calascio

The Castle of Rocca Calascio is a highland fortress located in the Province of L’Aquila in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

The castle is the tallest fortification in the Apennines at a height of 1,512 meters. The stronghold, located at one of the highest points in the historic Barony of Carapelle, was constructed entirely of stone and masonry for military purposes, with the sole intent of housing troops and never as a house for nobility.

The stronghold was first built as a solitary watchtower in the eleventh century. In the thirteenth century, a larger inner tower and a walled courtyard with four cylindrical towers at the corners were constructed. The fortress’s bottom portion is constructed with stones that are noticeably bigger than those in its higher portion. This characteristic was thought to render the base of the structure impregnable to assailants. There was never a war to test the castle. However, an earthquake in November 1461 with a Richter Scale estimated magnitude of 7 to 8 severely devastated it.

In the Richard Donner movie Ladyhawke, the Castle of Rocca Calascio served as the backdrop for a number of sequences. Additionally, scenes for The American and The Name of the Rose were filmed here.

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