The village of Fontecchio lies in the picturesque Aterno valley inside the Sirente-Velino Regional Park and in the territory where the Protected Designation of Origin of L’Aquila Saffron is allowed. It is not only one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, but Fontecchio is a place where past and present live in symbiosis.Its old town centre still preserves the characteristics of a fortified medieval village, with access gates, stretches of high walls, towers and majestic palaces, among which the mighty fortified palace of the Corvi Barons stands out. According to an ancient tradition, the Marquise Corvi put an end to the long siege of Braccio da Montone’s army by killing the leaders of the attackers with a push rod.
To commemorate the event, every evening the Clock Tower would strike 50 chimes, as many as there were days of siege, thus mixing history, legend, tradition, pride but above all the breath of distant times still impregnated in the alleys and walls of Fontecchio.
The clock, considered one of the oldest built in Italy, moves the only hand according to a perfect mechanism of weights and beats the hours "Italian style", that is six hours in six hours.This Clock Tower was certainly one of the very first but it is also certainly one of the very last remaining with the six-hour dial. Until a short time ago, as I have already said, it rang 50 chimes, to remember the victims of the Spanish siege of 1648: today, however, it is preferred to keep the clock safe, avoiding the wear and tear of the gears, preserving it for future generations. The village is surrounded by greenery, by a green wall, which creates a bucolic setting.
