Flats Casa Torre del Cornone

Apartments and Rooms in the Mountains of Abruzzi

The ancient walls of Fontecchio medieval town house "Casa Torre del Cornone", offering apartments and rooms in the heart of Velino Sirente Park and a few kilometers from L'Aquila, Gran Sasso, and Campo Imperatore. Originally a Roman town and a medieval castle later, Fontecchio is a wonderful town dominating Aterno Valley. At its foot, the very green valley with the river and the picturesque railway line; at higher altitudes the large plateaus, the forests, and Sirente vertical wall.

The Rooms

Casa Torre del Cornone has been renovated and organized with an essential style, respecting the original structures and preserving the atmosphere. Brick floors, door height, irregular plasterworks, steep ladders, wooden architraves, fireplaces, and stone frames are all original, although they have been cleared and renovated. The structure offers 15 beds in seven rooms with en-suite bathroom: 3 with independent entrance and kitchenette; 4 rooms gravitate around an ancient big kitchen.

Common Areas: Garden and Classroom-Library

The garden on the town walls, overhanging the valley, develops around Cornone Tower and offers a wonderful viewpoint over the valley; rosemary, fig, apple, and plum trees, laurel, and two beautiful pergolas; two tables for your outdoor meals and armchairs to sunbathe. A room dedicated to meetings and courses faces the garden: it offers 15 seats, all the necessary technical equipment, and a library with publications dedicated to nature, landscape, and history, as well as maps and guidebooks.

Sustainability and Renovation

The heating system consists of a new boiler produced by local companies and working with wood splinters,  pellets, olive residues, and grape seed. This low environmental impact system is integrated by a solar panel system which, during the summer, can meet the hot water needs. The roof is isolated with cork slabs and there are double glazing windows. Some floors have been renovated with timber having the FSC certification. Plasterworks are made of lime and ancient soils.

Facilities and Programs

Casa Torre del Cornone is the guesthouse of the Landscape Environmental Center managed by ILEX, Italian Landscape Exploration. The center offers landscape reading courses, as well as cooking, local culture, and sustainable tourism courses. It organizes tours on foot and by bike, bird/fauna watching activities, visits to towns, itineraries train + bike or on horseback, and it rents bikes to the guests. It also puts at the guests' disposal tourist guidebooks and maps.