Fontecchio is simply gorgeous! It is a stunning little medieval town set in an area of thick, lush forest that we discovered by accident.

Abruzzo guide books hardly mention it at all, but it is a real gem, and a visit can conveniently be combined with a trip to the Grotte di Stiffe cave.

Its town walls and towers are distinctive, but its main monument and claim to fame is its beautiful 14th century fountain in the Piazza del Popoli.

The imposing fortified baronial Palazzo Corvi in the north-east of the village originates in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The village has an impressive clock tower that has recently been restored and whose clock is thought to be one of the oldest in Italy. The Culture of Memory Museum is near the tower.

A walk through the picturesque, narrow alleyways and flights of cobbled steps is romantic and fascinating.