Navelli

Saffron put Navelli on the map: a monk of the local Santucci family is said to have brought the crocus from Spain, and the plain below still grows Zafferano dell'Aquila DOP. The village climbs a south-facing hillside at about 760 metres, its medieval core giving way to a Renaissance quarter. The castle tower is now the campanile of San Sebastiano, and a baronial palace stands on its ruins.

Highlights

• Zafferano dell'Aquila, the DOP saffron grown on the Navelli plain
• San Sebastiano church, its bell tower a former medieval watchtower
• Santa Maria in Cerulis, a trapezoid church built over an Italic temple
• Madonna del Rosario church, with painted vaults and a large Baroque organ
• The medieval tower of the hamlet of Civitaretenga

Summary based on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.