Rocca di Mezzo: Nature, History and Festivals on the Altopiano delle Rocche

Rocca di Mezzo is centrally located on the Altopiano delle Rocche and is home to the Sirente-Velino Regional Nature Park.

Natural surroundings of Rocca di Mezzo

The area of Rocca di Mezzo includes the Piani di Pezza. When planning your trip, the Piani di Pezza can be considered a separate landscape highlight alongside churches, fortress remains and event venues. This keeps the natural area clearly distinct from the town’s historical and culinary themes.

Churches, fortresses and archaeological finds

At the Chiesa della Madonna della Neve, the church uses a medieval tower as its bell tower. The church was built on the site of a former ancient fortress. The former fortress site and the present-day church building belong to different historical periods. The history of the site therefore stretches from the ancient fortress to the medieval use of the tower.

Rovere is a hamlet of Rocca di Mezzo. There, the Castello di Rovere preserves the remains of a triangular fortress with round towers at its corners on a rocky promontory. The Museo Archeologico in Rovere also displays finds recovered during excavations.

Festivals with a long local tradition

The Festa del Narciso takes place every year on the last Sunday in May. Its first edition was held in 1947. This date is more precise for planning your own trip than a simple month indication: in addition to May, the day of the week is also specified, while 1947 marks the beginning of the event.

During the Gara del Solco, ploughs and tractors draw long furrows towards the town of Rocca di Mezzo on the annual night dedicated to the tradition. For personal daily planning, the night should be treated as a separate time slot for the Gara del Solco.

The event has represented a strongly community-supported tradition for more than four centuries. Its tradition, which stretches back over four centuries, predates the Festa del Narciso by a considerable margin, whose first edition was held in 1947. As a nighttime event, it has a different time frame from the Festa del Narciso on the last Sunday in May.

Wine and specialties in the historic centre

Urbi e Torbi is an autumn event that combines the revitalization of Rocca di Mezzo’s historic centre with the area’s culinary and wine-making tradition. During this event, visitors can stroll through the historic centre and sample wines from Abruzzo and local specialties at various stops. Those planning wine and regional cuisine as a separate focus of their trip can note Urbi e Torbi as an autumn date. If you are staying in autumn, Urbi e Torbi takes place at a different time from the Festa del Narciso on the last Sunday in May.

Further destinations for planning your own trip: Castelvecchio Calvisio, Cappadocia, L’Aquila, Collettara, Villalago, Balsorano, Casentino, Magliano De' Marsi.

For the overview of the wider travel area: L-Aquila.