Civitella del Tronto

The fortress occupies the entire crest of a rock ridge, about five hundred metres long and up to forty-five wide, covering some twenty-five thousand square metres, which makes it one of the largest fortified structures in Europe by footprint. It was rebuilt in its present form under Spanish rule in the sixteenth century, with three courtyards on different levels, cisterns, a governor's palace and a parade ground, all following the shape of the rock. It was besieged repeatedly and finally surrendered in 1861. The village below has a lane called Ruetta, claimed as one of the narrowest streets in Italy at around fifty centimetres.

What you actually see

• The ridge fortress - 500 metres of works following the rock crest.
• The three courtyards - stepped levels with cisterns and a parade ground.
• The Ruetta - a village lane about fifty centimetres wide.
• The panorama - the Gran Sasso on one side and the Adriatic on the other.

When to go

April to October; the fortress is exposed with little shade and windy. It closes some days in winter. Allow around two hours for the full circuit.

Honest expectations

The interior is largely open ground and bare walls rather than furnished rooms. The climb up from the village is steep. There is little shelter in bad weather.

Nearby

Teramo lies south; the Gran Sasso rises southwest.