On the slopes of Monte Morricone, at more than 900 metres above sea level, stands the tiny village of Collescille – now inhabited by only three families –, also referred to in ancient documents as ‘Toccalomò’.
As it was the highest inhabited point in the whole valley and strategically well-positioned between Preci and Visso, Collescille carried out the important function of surveillance over the surrounding area from ancient times onwards. For this reason, it was even equipped with a tower – the Torre di Collescille – built on a square plan and made of blocks of stone and located in a crowning position in the village.
The aim of the tower was not to protect the village but rather the nearby Abbey of Sant’Eutizio, which for years was the most important economic, political and cultural hub in the entire Castoriana valley.
In 1259, the Abbot Theodino II donated the village of Collescille to Norcia, while at the same time divesting the Abbey of Sant’Eutizio of its temporal power. The tower and the village thereby lost their function and were gradually abandoned.