Castel Manfrino

It is the one and only site in Abruzzi where structural traces of a paleochristian baptismal font entirely dug into the rock have been found. The castle was mentioned for the first time in 1064 with the place name Maccla, in a reference to the borders of a donation made to Farfa monastery by an aristocratic family. A few decades later, in 1093, a descendant of the same family gave to the same monastery also the estate of Castrum Maccla. It appears always with the same name in the second half of the 12th century in the Catalogue of the Norman Feuds, among the castles of the committee of Ascoli. In the Norman-Swabian period, the site played a very important role in the strategic scenario and, although there are no historical documents, the traditions and legends link the current name of the castle to King Manfredi of Sicily.