Historical Background: The village is situated on a rocky hill, on the right bank of the Aventino river, overlooking the surrounding countryside, featured by a big rock leaning out the hill “la morgià”. Its name comes from the several chalk caves (gesso in Italian), active until the first post-war crisis.Destroyed at first by the earthquake, then by the German bombing, Gessopalena is a sort of ghost village, although very charming, in particular because of its panoramic position. The modern built-up area is just a few meters away from the historical centre. It has a surface of 31,42 square kilometres, on a territory full of steep hill slopes. The origins of the village date back to the Early Middle Ages, and the castle, situated in a strategic position overlooking the Aventino valley, was an important defensive bulwark which barred the entry to the rich Majella pastures. It preserves a pointed arch of the former church of Addolorata (14th century), the portal of the 16th century of the church of St. Maria dei Raccomandati has in the inside a tryptic of the 16th century. Over Easter, the most important tradition is the procession of the Passion of Christ on Wednesday, a parade which crosses the historical centre. The musical tradition is well rooted too, as a matter of fact Gessopalena was famous for its many musical bands, and nowadays a music school is dedicated to Armando Manzi, the most importamt Italian trombonist of the first half of the 20th century, born in Gessopalena, who studied in Florence and then in America. Moreover the village has its own theatre association called Petralucente, very active in the whole territory of the commune.