Rocca San Giovanni

Rocca San Giovanni is a village of about 2,000 inhabitants in the province of Chieti, north-east of Lanciano. It is part of the initiative Borghi più belli d’Italia. It stands on a rocky hill overlooking the splendid Costa dei trabocchi. The origins of Rocca San Giovanni date back to around the year 1000 thanks to Oderisio I and Oderisio II, abbots of the Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere, who built the castle, the walls and the three towers to defend the monks and inhabitants of the area from possible attacks. The historic centre dates back to the fourteenth century and is built in a medieval style. Some old photos show that there used to be an isolated tower that was destroyed during the bombing of the Second World War. Attached to the historic centre there is a pointed arched door made of sandstone blocks.The village develops in a herringbone pattern, and used to be entirely surrounded by walls. Today, you can only see the remains of these walls together with a well-preserved castellated tower called “Torrione dei Filippini” which overlooks a tree-lined road that is pleasant to walk down.