You see its twin-towered baroque cathedral and mini-acropolis from far away. The Corso, across the rushing Sangro river, is a winding street of many colours with a patterned piazza. Townsfolk chatter, children shout, small trades are plied at cottage doors; life seems more spirited and easy-going than in other stern, dark Abruzzi communities. Craft shops deal in the typical montagnard products: wood carvings, wrought iron, woollen rugs, garments and tapestries. Second World War history buffs may recall that Allied and German troops were locked in combat along the Sangro, between here and the sea, for many months. The photo shows the interior of the town’s church, not the basilicata, or cathedral.