The village of the towers of Castello Caldora below Monte Morrone
On a spur at the foot of Monte Morrone, a few kilometres from Sulmona, overlooking the Peligna valley, Pacentro is one of the most picturesque villages in Abruzzo, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", recognisable from afar by the tall square towers of its castle, the Castello Cantelmo-Caldora, which rise above the roofs of the stone houses. The castle, of medieval origin, belonged to the Caldora and Cantelmo families, powerful feudal lords of the area, and was enlarged in the fifteenth century; today, after restoration, it can be visited and offers a splendid view of the valley and the Majella. The village, with its lanes, steps, stone portals and fountains, preserves an authentic and intact atmosphere.
Pacentro is famous for a very unusual tradition: the Corsa degli Zingari, held every year on the first Sunday of September in honour of the Madonna di Loreto. The young men of the village, called "zingari" (gypsies), run barefoot down a steep, rocky slope from a hill opposite the village, cross the stream at the bottom and climb up to the church in the village, arriving with their feet often bleeding; the winner receives a piece of cloth, once used to make a jacket. It is considered one of the oldest races in Italy. Curiously, Pacentro is also the village of origin of the family of the American pop star Madonna, whose paternal grandparents emigrated from here to the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Tip: photograph the village and its towers from the road below; come on the first Sunday of September for the Corsa degli Zingari.
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