S. Maria della Valle church a jewel in the nature

From the A25 motorway, take the Magliano dei Marsi exit (110 km from Pescara) and follow directions to Rosciolo, which should take approximately 15 minutes. It is an evocative village laying on top of a 900 m-high chalky hill in front of the gigantic Mount Velino (2487 m). The highest part of the medieval hamlet features the parish dedicated to St. Mary of Graces (Santa Maria delle Grazie): the lunette on the main entrance architrave has a fresco picturing a Madonna and Child next to three angels.
Alleys and house ruins, which look stuck in time, branch off the Church square. If you enter the bar you can’t miss going out on the balcony and staring at those great mountains, which seem to protect the village and watch over the whole Marsica area, right in the foothills of the Mount Velino. Then you get to visit the little jewel-like village of Rosciolo and the Porclaneta Valley. The church of St. Mary in the Valley (Santa Maria in Valle) at a height of 1000 m can be approached by taking a 40-minute walk along a bridle path which is about 3 km long. The church of St. Mary in the Porclaneta Valley is one of the most fascinating examples of Romanesque art in Abruzzo, where Arab-Hispanic, Byzantine and Lombard influences blend together. The porch before the façade was added later in time to replace one of the sides of a now destroyed cloister. The church is accessed through an ogival portal with a lunette featuring a fresco from the 1400s. Inside there are three naves supported by pillars and it is decorated with interesting sacred furnishings dating back to mid-12th century.
After visiting the church, you can return to the village and head to the nearby village of Scurcola Marsicana, one of the Authentic Hamlets of Italy (Borghi Autentici d’Italia club). Scurcola Marsicana hosts two clear examples of Middle Age castles: one is on top of Mount S. Nicola, dominated by an iron cross, and the other one is the huge Renaissance stronghold Rocca Orsini, above the old town. The former is little known, while the latter is famous because of its massive walls and the importance it has in the history of Italian fortified architecture. Its transformation from a Middle Age castle into a Renaissance stronghold was ascribed to the Siena-born architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini.
In August, Scurcola hosts the Sagra della ciammella (local doughnut festival). It features a lot of events, like the parade of floats representing the traditions of the village, and the tasting of Ciammelle, but the best thing is that the Fontana della Venere (Fountain of Venus) pours wine for everybody. You can also visit the delicious local trattorias.
At night, you can move to Tagliacozzo, 10 km away from Scurcola. It is a very lively town where you can enjoy many interesting nightly events. In Tagliacozzo you can taste local specialties like egg pasta, cornmeal polenta, exquisite lamb, calf and pork meat, sausages, ham, pork loin, cured pork neck, livers and also salami, pork cheek and pancetta.
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