Abruzzo: Castelli
At 17 kms from the S. Gabriele exit on the Teramo - L'Aquila motorway, Castelli has easy access to the coast (45 minutes by car), and to Rome (a drive of about two hours on the motorway). Its position, at an altitude of 500 metres, under the picturesque barrier of the Monte Camicia, makes it a good starting point to cross over and ascend the woodland-covered eastern face of the Gran Sasso group of mountains in the new National Park. The mother church must be visited, where a 13th century wooden polychrome, the majolic altar-piece by Francesco Grue (1647), and a medieval silver cross of the Sulmona school have been preserved. In August, a large market exhibition of current ceramic production is set up but it is possible to wander around the streets of the town anytime of the year and come across numerous craft shops and stores. Abruzzo Ceramics Prices vary greatly depending on the type and decoration, the choice ranging from simple rustic-like crockery with the typical "