Once ruled by the House of Medici

Just below the Campo Imperatore there are several beautiful medieval hill towns: Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Castel del Monte, Calascio and the mountaintop fortress Rocca Calascio are the most interesting.

I spent time just hanging out in these villages, drinking coffee, speaking to cats and reading news on my iPhone.

The area was shaped by transhumance. Local animal products were sought after during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Carfagna sheep wool was transported to Florence and mainly used to produce military uniforms and monks' cowls. The villages lost importance during the 19th century. Once ruled by the House of Medici, Santo Stefano di Sessanio counted 3.000 people in 1870. In 2005 there were only 80. 

Porta Medicea, branded with the coat of arms of the House of Medici.

Favola di Venezia (Hugo Pratt, 1976). Corto Maltese speaks to the street cats.

The small pleasures of life in Italy: un caffè in the town square.

Rocca Calascio. The fortress was destroyed by an earthquake in 1461 and never rebuilt.

There is no denying the villages are in bad shape due to earthquakes and neglect.

The distance between the hill towns can be easily cycled, with lots of climbing and fast downhills.

Mosaic on a wall in Castel del Monte. It is hard not to imagine this mosaic was inspired by te earthquake of 2009. Castel del Monte is the principal location of The American directed by Anton Corbijn. The film's central character played by George Clooney, takes refuge in Castel Del Monte hoping to escape from his past.

Movie still from The American (2010), Anton Corbijn.