National Day of Historic Houses

The National Day of Historic Houses in Caporciano

The National Day of Historic Houses is a major event promoted annually by the Italian Historic Houses Association (ADSI). On the last Sunday of May, it opens hundreds of palaces, villas, castles, and house museums—usually closed or restricted—to the public for free. In Abruzzo, the initiative involves around fifty buildings, with over thirty houses opening in the province of L'Aquila alone, thanks to the collaboration between ADSI Abruzzo and the Fondazione Carispaq. Among these sites is the Palazzo D'Alessandro in the municipality of Caporciano.

Palazzo D'Alessandro, the heart of the event in Caporciano

Located in the small village of Caporciano on the Navelli plateau in the province of L'Aquila, Palazzo D'Alessandro dates back to the 16th century, with its core structure from the 1600s and a 'piano nobile' expanded in the 19th century by the D'Alessandro family. Today, the residence is a house museum and 'Wunderkammer' home, where family collections, period furnishings, and works ranging from antiques to contemporary design tell centuries of local history. During the National Day, the owners accompany visitors through the palace's rooms, sharing stories of the collections and the family that has been rooted in Caporciano since the second half of the 16th century.

A heritage spread across Abruzzo

The opening in Caporciano is part of a regional itinerary that touches villages and art cities in the Abruzzo hinterland, including L'Aquila with its noble palaces, Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Scurcola Marsicana, and Acciano. The event highlights the role of private historic houses as guardians of memory, identity, and landscape, returning otherwise invisible places to the community. Each edition revolves around a national theme: the 2026 edition is dedicated to the value of heritage as a living and shared asset.

How the day works

• Free admission to all participating houses, generally without the need for reservations.
• Welcoming by the owners and registered professional tour guides.
• Typical hours: morning from 10:00 to 13:00 and afternoon from 15:00 to 18:00.
• Guided tours of the collections, interiors, and gardens of the residences.

For visitors, it is an opportunity to discover a lesser-known side of Abruzzo, made of private homes, family stories, and architecture that define the territory of the municipality of Caporciano and the entire region.