Pescocostanzo is the most elegant mountain town in the Apennines. At 1,395 meters on the Altopiano delle Cinquemiglia (the Five Mile Plateau — a vast high plain used for transhumance for 2,000 years), this town of 1,100 residents has Renaissance and baroque architecture that would be remarkable at sea level and is extraordinary at this altitude. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Colle has a carved wooden ceiling by Carlo Sabatini and a wrought-iron gate by Sante di Rocco that is considered the finest example of iron artistry in Italy. The town's ironworkers (maestri ferrai) and lace-makers (merlettaie, working tombolo lace) continue traditions documented since the 16th century. Abruzzo guide →
Plan my Abruzzo trip →Basilica di Santa Maria del Colle: The iron gate (cancello) by Sante di Rocco (1699) — a 5-meter-tall masterwork of wrought iron with spiraling vine motifs, leaves, and flowers of such delicacy they seem impossible in metal. The carved wooden ceiling (Sabatini, 1660s) covers the nave in gilded panels. Free entry. The town: Stone palazzi with iron balconies (the ironworking tradition visible on every building), Palazzo Fanzago (attributed to Cosimo Fanzago, the great Neapolitan baroque architect), and a gentility of proportion unusual for a mountain settlement. Tombolo lace: Workshops sell handmade bobbin lace — a tradition brought here, some say, by Flemish merchants. Prices: €20-200+ depending on complexity. Skiing: The Aremogna ski area (small but scenic, altitude skiing 1,600-2,000m) is 10min from town — a local alternative to Roccaraso.
Getting there: car from Sulmona (35min), L'Aquila (1.5h), Naples (2h via A25). Altitude: 1,395m — cold in winter (ski season Dec-March), cool in summer (perfect escape from coastal heat). Stay: €45-75/night. Eat: Il Boscaiolo (€25-35 — mountain cuisine: polenta, lamb, truffles in season). Combine with: Scanno (40min), Sulmona (35min), Majella (30min), Roccaraso (10min).