ROCCASCALEGNA IS A SMALL VILLAGE in the Majella region of Abruzzo in central Italy. The village, thought to be founded by the Lombards around 600, sits at the foot of the impossibly-built Castle of Roccascalegna.

This extraordinary fortress is perched on the edge of a massive basalt cliff, and was likely built to guard the Secco Valley below. The rocky outcrop looks out over lush meadows and olive orchards, but the idyllic setting has a rough past. In the centuries since it was first built, the valley has seen several invasions and pirate incursions from the Adriatic coast.