Pizzoferrato, the Terrace of Abruzzo

Pizzoferrato is a town of about 930 inhabitants in Abruzzo, in the province of Chieti. Gabriele D'Annunzio nicknamed it 'La Terrazza d'Abruzzo', precisely because the town is perched close to a large cliff, from which it is possible to admire the Sandro River Valley and even Dalmatia. The village was born in medieval times and became famous thanks to its position and the cliff that characterizes it, called 'Il Pizzo'. Originally, the village was divided into three parts: the upper Pizzo, the middle Pizzo and the lower Pizzo, which were later incorporated. The village is located at 1250 meters above sea level and is said to be 'at the height of the clouds'. It was, unfortunately, the victim of an attack by some German soldiers in 1944: inside the church where many men took refuge (more precisely, behind the altar) it is possible to see the holes left by the machine gun bullets, making this place witnessed a terrible massacre, from which very few were saved. A plaque was dedicated to this event, to commemorate the loss of the numerous victims.