A sharp setback came with the Second World War. Roccaraso was located right on the head of the Gustav line, the system of fortifications with which the Germans tried to stop the advance of the Allies after the landing at Salerno in September 1943.
During World War II, Roccaraso faced a significant setback due to its location on the Gustav line, a German fortification system designed to impede Allied advances following the Salerno landings in September 1943.