Abruzzo · Chieti
Crecchio
A 209-meter hill town between the Adriatic and the Maiella, capital of Italy for one night in 1943 when the king slept in its castle.
Known for
CAPITAL FOR A NIGHT
On 9 September 1943 King Vittorio Emanuele III stopped here for one night during the flight from Rome to Brindisi.
BYZANTINE ABRUZZO
Castle museum collects the most important Lombard and Byzantine finds in the region, sixth and seventh centuries.
MONTEPULCIANO
Città del Vino member, surrounded by Montepulciano d'Abruzzo vineyards on the hills toward the coast.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J11°
- F13°
- M14°
- A17°
- M21°
- J26°
- J30°
- A30°
- S25°
- O21°
- N16°
- D12°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Crecchio is a hill town in the band of low ridges that runs from the Adriatic coast inland to the foothills of the Maiella. The Castello Ducale at its center is the reason it appears in textbooks. On the night of 9 September 1943, after the armistice with the Allies was announced, King Vittorio Emanuele III, Queen Elena, and Crown Prince Umberto fled Rome and stopped at the De Riseis castle for a single night before reaching the port of Ortona and sailing for Brindisi.
For those hours Crecchio was effectively the capital of Italy. The castle was bombed by the Allies later in the war and reconstructed afterward, respecting its original Lombard, Norman, and Aragonese stratification. It now houses the Museo Archeologico dell'Abruzzo Bizantino e Altomedievale, which collects sixth- and seventh-century material from the surrounding territory.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Crecchio’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
How to get there
From Ancona / Pescara (AOI), about 2h 18m by car.
Bari / Brindisi (BRI) is about 3 hours away.
By car from the centre of Pescara 40 minutes, Ancona 2h 13m or Rome 2h 36m.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming by train into Pescara Centrale? Crecchio is about 42 minutes away by road.
What to see
Castello Ducale De Riseis-D'Aragona
Lombard core from the eighth century, Norman and Aragonese reworkings, four corner towers, host to the fleeing royal family on 9 September 1943.
Museo Archeologico dell'Abruzzo Bizantino e Altomedievale
Inside the castle, displays Lombard and Byzantine grave goods, ceramics, and weapons from the sixth and seventh centuries.
Centro storico
Medieval walled core preserved around the castle, narrow lanes and stone houses descending toward the open valley.
Chiesa di Santa Maria da Piedi
Parish church just below the castle, rebuilt over a medieval foundation, with a baroque interior.
Belvedere del castello
View east across hills of vineyards and olives toward the Adriatic, the coastline visible on clear days from the castle terrace.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Crecchio fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Living here
- Population 2,608
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Ancona / Pescara, 2 h 18 min drive
- Regional capital L'Aquila, 1 h 52 min drive
Common questions
- What is Crecchio known for?
- Crecchio is a 209-meter hill town between the Adriatic and the Maiella, capital of Italy for one night in 1943 when the king slept in its castle.
- Where is Crecchio?
- Crecchio is a comune in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo, at 209 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Crecchio?
- Ancona / Pescara (AOI), about 2h 18m by car.
- Can you get to Crecchio without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Pescara to Crecchio?
- About 40 minutes by car.
- When is the best time to visit Crecchio?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 30 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Crecchio?
- Auletta, Riace and Controguerra.
- How many people live in Crecchio?
- 2,608 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 209 m
- Population: 2,608
- Surface area: 19.23 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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