The Abruzzo Region is one of the most mountainous in Italy. It's where you'll find some of the highest peaks in the country including Gran Sasso and Majella. Abruzzo also borders on the Adriatic Sea, which means that it has some great beaches. The region is made up of four provinces: L'Aquila is physically the largest, Chieti has the biggest population, Pescara is economic center, and the fourth is Teramo. Abruzzo's population is 1.3 million. If you are looking for a place in Italy that is off the beaten tourist track, has beautiful wilderness areas and some of the best preserved castles medieval towns, then you might want to consider Abruzzo. |
ATTRACTIONS AND TOURISM
Abruzzo is a great place for skiers, both downhill and cross-country. There are 21 ski areas and resorts including Roccaraso, Campo Felice and Campo Imperatore. This is also a great place for mountain climbing. And for climbers who like to get their crampons on, Abruzzo has Il Calderone--the southernmost glacier in Europe.If you prefer the kind out outdoor activities that involve lounge chair, a cold drink and a good book, there are plenty of beautiful beaches. Abruzzo has 129 kms of coastline and resorts including Vasto, Silvi Marina and Alba Adriatica. Abruzzo National Park is a wilderness paradise, home to golden eagles and Marsciano bears, and also some of the largest and rarest orchids on the planet. Other stand out parks include Gran Sasso, the Monti della Laga, the Majella and the Sirente Velino. And for those who like to explore caves, there are some terrific ones in Abruzzo--including Grotta del Cavallone , also known as the Grotto della Figlia di Iorio south of Paescara, and Grotte di Stiffe in Valle Dell'Aterno.
SIGHTSEEING
Abruzzo has some of Italy's best-preserved medieval and Renaissance hill towns. So much so that it's been nicknamed Abruzzoshire! Some of these ancient towns are located in the regional and national parks, and so they are particularly well maintained. Two of them, Castel Del Monte and Santo Stefano di Sessanio, are in the Gran Sasso National Park. If you're into ruins and fortresses, you'll find Rocca di Calascio between those two towns. The ruins there have been used as a film set by lots of filmmakers. Gran Sasso National Park is also home to an ancient pottery town called Castelli. For centuries the artisans made ceramics for many of the royal houses of Europe. And the artisan potter tradition continues today. The city of Sulmona, home of the poet Ovid is another destination in the region with attractions like the hermitage of Celestine V and the church of Santa Maria della Tomba, with its Gothic facade and Baroque interior. The city of Aquila has its Fontana delle 99 Cannelle (Fountain of the 99 Spouts), adorned by grotesque masks carved in stone.
ITS FOOD & DRINK
Four provinces, and four basic cuisines. Of course Pasta features prominently. One of the pasta specialities is maccheroni alla chitarra (guitar string macaroni), named for the machine on which its made-a wooden frame with steel wires-like a guitar-- that is used to cut the sheets of pasta dough. In Aquila, be careful when you sit down to a meal called "Panarda". This is a banquet, a feast which has, in the past, featured twenty or thirty dishes and diners can't leave until they've tasted each one of them! Teramo's specialities include a crepe called scrippelle, served either plain or in a bouillon. A speciality of Chieti is a dish called scapece. This is fried fish, preserved in vinegar and flavoured with saffron. Mutton, lamb, goat meat are popular meats in Abruzzo. Pork dishes include lu capelomme, or and a pork sausage called ventricina. The local sweets feature almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts with fine nougat and a candy called confetti, figs stuffed with almonds and bay leaves, cicerchiata (tiny balls of fried dough covered with honey and bits of candied fruit), mostaccioli (spicy chocolate sweets) and sponge cake balls filled with cream filling called sise delle monache. The region's wines include Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Trebbiano.
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