This mediaeval village lies within the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga and boast quite a rich history. It has been a bulwark of the Bourbon resistance to the unitary movement and in 1943 the wood Bosco della Martese (according to the legend it was dedicated to Mars and run through by Hannibal) was the set of a bloody encounter between Resistance fighters and the German troops.

The Martese wood is only one of the beautiful trails that lead through this wonderful territory, ideal destination for spending a holiday in contact with nature hiking and walking immersed in the silence of mountain trails. This territory is also ideal for looking for porcini mushrooms, or for fishing the wild trout in the clear waters of the Tordino and Vezzola rivers.

Nature but not only, Rocca Santa Maria also offers the visitor the opportunity to visit many sites of historical-cultural interest.

The Sant'Egidio Church of Acquaratola is quite characteristic and has conserved its original structure including one sole nave and a saddle roof (the earliest mention of this church goes back to 1324). In Faiete the rests of the perimeter walls of the 13th-century Church of San Pietro can still be seen. The Church of San Martino, also known since 1324, has preserved the ancient wall structure enclosing one nave, a saddle roof and a sail form bell tower. It has a painted and gilded wooden Baroque Organ as well as two interesting statues in its inside.

In the last couple of years some of the hamlets included in the municipality such as Serra, Martese and Tavolero, have been chosen to be part of a recovery project for the purposes of developing tourism within the Park. The presence of the Church of San Flaviano represents a great asset as it is a marvellous example of a religious structure isolated from the rest of the built up area.

This ambitious project, promoted by the Province of Teramo, aims at reviving and giving visibility to a territory otherwise destined to depopulation.