Casalincontrada is a town in the province of Chieti, located in an area rich in natural beauty. Known for being the birthplace of Cesare De Lollis, the small village of Casalincotrada is rich in attractions and historical buildings to visit: the Church of Santo Stefano Protomartire, which was part of the Rationes Decimarum among the churches subject to the Monastery of Santa Maria d’Arabona and which retains its typical Baroque charm; the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, characterized by a portal surmounted by a triangular tympanum, with pilasters on either side, two on each side supporting a band to which a lunette and two circular rose windows rest; the Entrance Arch (formerly “Porta da Capo”) in brick with sculptural workmanship from the 14th century; the Baronial House Caracciolo-Del Giudice-De Felici (17th century); the Municipal Cistern, in Largo S. Domenico (16th century). Casalincontrada, is also known in Italy as “the town of music,” as it boasts a long and established band (dating back to 1841) and orchestral (since 1961) tradition and has been the birthplace of great musicians and band masters. Also very famous were the art of pyrotechnics and the construction of the characteristic “pupe,” papier-mâché puppets, which danced and cheered the traditional festivities.
In Casalincontrada there are several earthen buildings, built using the masonry technique, since the 1990s the municipal administrations have aimed to safeguard this heritage, thanks to the presence of the CEDterra (Center for Documentation of Earthenware), which organizes the Earth Festival every year in September. To date, it is possible to see the first examples of the recovery and reuse of raw earth buildings, among them we point out Casa Teresa.
The hilly terrain is planted with olive groves and vineyards, and the local cuisine offers: sheep arrosticini, sweet fiadoni, and salt cod with peppers.