AREA OF ABRUZZO
A WONDERFUL WORLD AROUND US
From the seaside to the hills and further up, to national parks and much more!
Different and exciting experiences are waiting for you… a single holiday won’t be enough to live them all.
You will immediately fall in love with Abruzzo!
Taste and Tradition
Abruzzo provides some of the most prestigious and delicious local products in Italy: excellent biscuits, tasty jams, liquors, traditional recipes made in different ways.
The greenest region of Europe is distinguished by a wonderful enogastronomic wealth. The Hotel Giada Restaurant invites you to enjoy some of the most well-known and tasty traditional dishes.
Mortadella of Campotosto: lean pork cuts are prepared by adding some bacon. Then the typical ‘lardello’ (lard) is placed within and remains pleasingly crisp after the seasoning.
Patata Turchesa: this type of potato is distinguished by its purple skin. It’s white inside and contains beneficial antioxidans. It can be cultivated at considerable altitudes.
Ferratelle: These biscuits can have different forms depending on the molds used to cook them. They have always played an important role in celebrations, especially the religious ones; they were part of brides’ dowry.
Scrucchiata: a grape jam that comes exclusively from the variety of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The name is given by the pomace crushing procedure ‘schiacciatura’. It is used for the preparation of many desserts (eg. Sfogliatelle).
Pecorino of Farindola: strictly obtained by raw milk, it’s distinguished by the aromatic persistence, grassy aftertaste and little spicy flavour.
Genziana: a type of root used for the preparation of the homonymus liquor.
Saffron of Piana di Navelli: PDO in the province of L’Aquila, it can be used to make many recipes. It is also quoted in the animation movie ”Ratatouille” (2007).
Liquorice of Atri: already used in the Middle Ages by monks. This type of root contains anti- inflammatory properties.
Canestrato of Castel Del Monte: Historically speaking, the culture of transhumance has always been important in Abruzzo. Castel Del Monte provides the production of a long dairy tradition type of cheese: milk of sheep is used to create forms, then seasoned – from two months to a year – and greased with oil.
Lentils of Santo Stefano di Sessanio: a little variety of lentil that is permeable and doesn’t need to be soaked before cooking. It is well suited to harsh climates and barren lands. It has been cultivated since before the year One Thousand.
Parks and Nature
In 2016 Huffington Post Usa conducted a survey on the 12 best destinations to live or retire. Abruzzo ranks the 5th place. The reason behind this choice is that our region is surrounded by nature. In abruzzo you will find three National Parks (Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Parks; Gran Sasso National Park and Laga Mountains; Majella National Park) and Sirente – Velino Regional Park; over thirty Natural Reserves..a record that covers more than a third of the regional area. As a matter of fact, Abruzzo is called ”Green Region of Europe”.
There are numerous protected areas located on the Appennine ridge, the fertil hills on the hinterland and along the coast (130 km long). These locations contain 75% of plant and animal species of the European continent. This natural heritage deserves to be explored!
Art and Culture
In Abruzzo you will find traces of past ages everywhere. It represents a true paradise for those who love art and culture: simple and Romanesque buildings, silent hermitages and abbeys, fortresses, Renaissance and Baroque castles, Roman finds of architectural merit.
The area of Abruzzo is filled with art and monuments, from the coast to the mountains: some are well-known, others are waiting to be discovered! This enormous heritage makes our Region a genuine open-air Museum! Medieval churches in the middle of solitary plateaus, hidden hermitages in the ravines of the mountains, majestic abbeys and castles represent the visible proof of many centuries of history, thanks to the excellent preservation of their original features.
A lot of museums in the area offer the presence of a variety of medieval works, archeology, agrarian tools, works of modern art: the most important museums are located in Chieti (in the National Archeologic Museum you can find the Warrior of Capestrano), Pescara ( The House of Gabriele D’Annunzio; the ”Basilio Cascella” Civic Museum; ”Museo delle Genti in Abruzzo” – Museum of the People of Abruzzo), Picciano (Museum of Traditions and Arts) and Sulmona (Civic Museum).
The folklore traditions are still alive, especially inland. Traditional arts and crafts are still practised and objects (real works of art) can be purchased at very reasonable prices. It is worth to mention the ceramics of Castelli or the quality leather skilfully processed by expert craftsmen of Pescara.. You cannot miss the opportunity to enjoy several traditional religious festivals celebrated in every corner of Abruzzo all year round. Every city and village has its own patronal feast! Among them, there is the Snakes’ Festival in Cocullo in May. During the procession in honor of Saint Dominic (Patron of snake bites), pilgrims parade live reptiles along with the statue of the Saint. A lot of festivals are organized in Abruzzo throughout the year and the magnificent natural landscape makes every event absolutely perfect.
City of Silvi
The city of Silvi, formerly called ‘Silva’ for its lush vegetation, Castel Belfiore or Castrum Silvi (during the Middle Age) lies on the slopes of the hills of Città Sant’Angelo and Atri.
It’s distinguished by the presence of a maritime area, Silvi Marina. This is due to fishermen who used to move to the coastline in the nineteenth century. The historic center is located in the ‘upper’ area of medieval origins where you can admire an enchanting view.
The entire area appears to have been inhabited since ancient times. A lot of people had to move from the coastal settlement to the uplands after the Barbarian invasions. Silvi Alta was born during that time and is arranged around the Castle. It’s a Benedectine feud of the Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere in Lanciano and took part in the numerous wars of conquest and land consolidation.
The Church of San Salvatore dates back to 110 AD: a building with one nave that contains two stoups of medieval times and frescos from the mid-13th century. Not far away is the Church of San Rocco, dating from the XVI century, reworked during the nineteenth century.
The Tower of Cerrano is worth a visit. It was built during the XVI century as a fortress for sighting and defence from the invasions of Turkish pirates. Its location marks the border with Silvi Marina. The Port of Adria is located under the Tower. Non datable, but very ancient, it was used as a strategic crossing point.
You can’t miss the opportunity to visit the wonderful sandy beaches with shallow waters in Silvi Marina and the Marine Protected Area of Tower of Cerrano.
Majella Geopark
Majella National Park, the ‘green heart’ of Abruzzo, became the World Geopark of UNESCO and is called ‘Majella Geopark‘. This title is due to the varied geodiversity of the area.
The Majella Park is distinguished by the union of geology, biodiversity, historic presence of men and a culture that has developed over time. It hosts 95 geosites; 22 of them have international value.
The Majella Park is one of the most suggestive ‘green lungs’ of Italy. This area consists of valleys, waterfalls and caves. Human presence is found in villages, towns and hermitages that provide beautiful panoramic views, such as the Hermitage of Santo Spirito, a complex of buildings leaning against a rock wall or the Hermitage of Bartolomeo Legio in the Valley of Santo Spirito, built directly in the rock.
Inside the Majella Park you can also find a lot of villages, such as Caramanico Terme, considered as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Given the presence of thermal baths, this location is ideally suited for those who want to relax and rejuvenate.
Among the most relevant cultural centers rich in history, the city of Sulmona provides noble buildings between ancient walls and doors as well as public works like the medieval aqueduct.
The park was established in 1991. It extends over an area of around 63.000 hectares. In terms of geology, Majella is the most singular massif of calcareous origin in the Appennines. It has a round shape formed by glaciers. This true wonder of nature is also a perfect natural habitat for different and protected species such as wolves, bears, deers and chamoises.
It is considered one of the three wonderful national parks in Abruzzo, between the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L’Aquila. Extraordinarily rich in nature, history and architecture, it is distinguished by mountain terrains, natural landscapes and morphology. You can explore these wonders through numerous itineraries and paths.
The Majella Park was also recognized as one of the most beautiful italian locations where you can admire the sunset: the sun setting behind the mountain massif is a source of pride here in Abruzzo. For those in search of unusual destinations rich in history, culture and emotions, this is the perfect place to be explored.
Fonte: www.siviaggia.it
Atri
Location: Atri (Teramo) is immersed in the hills of the province of Teramo facing the Adriatic coastline, an area that covers the rivers Vomano and Piomba. You can easily reach it by highway A14 exit Atri/Pineto. It is distinguished by the presence of majestic ravines protected by a Natural Reserve established in 1995.
Why visit Atri: monuments and historical buildings, churches, works of art and suggestive natural landscapes make this province an authentic open-air museum, one of the best art cities in Abruzzo. Giorgio Manganelli, journalist and writer, writes this in his report: ”City of mountain contemplation that looks at both Majella and Gran Sasso of Italy. It is resolutely an archaic city”. Given its proximity to the coast, it represents the starting point to reach the beaches of Roseto degli Abruzzi, Silvi or Pineto, where you can find the remains of the ancient port of the Roman city Hadria; they’re still visible on the seabeds in front of the Tower of Cerrano.
Must-see:
● Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built between the end of XIII century and and the beginning of XIV century. It’s located partly on an ancient Roman cistern turned into a cript. It has three gates of remarkable workmanship; one of them is called ‘Porta Santa’ (Saint Door), a work by Rainaldo d’Atri (1305). The bell tower is distinguished by the tiles of majolica.
Inside the Cathedral there are three naves with pointed arches. Among the paintings, it is possible to admire Andrea De Litio’s frescos on the walls and pillars. They represent an authentic Renaissance masterpiece in Abruzzo;
● The Cathedral Museum ”Museo Capitolare” is one of the most ancient diocesan museums in Italy. It houses a rich variety of precious relics such as painted majolica, crosses, silver and ivory pastorals, illuminated manuscripts, statues, hundreds of fragments and mosaics of ancient buildings, a magnificent cluster with two orders of columns and a central well;
● The Church of St. Augustine has a beautiful portal made by Neapolitan craftsmen and a bell tower similar to the one in the nearby Cathedral. Inside the church there is an interesting fresco by Andrea De Litio at the counter facade;
● The Municipal Theatre, designed by the architect Francesco Consorti, was inaugurated in 1881. It is also called ‘la bomboniera’ (a term to define a ‘cozy room‘) given its dimensions (300 seats), the enviable acustics and the fine furnishing. The exterior part bears some resemblace to La Scala Theater in Milan while the interior part has three tiers of boxes and gallery, similar to the San Carlo Theater in Naples. Inside the building there is the ‘Antonio di Jorio’ Museum Archive, dedicated to the eminent local musician.
● Palazzo Ducale degli Acquaviva (the Acquaviva Ducal Palace) has been the seat of the municipality since 1917. It was built on the ruins of a Roman bath complex at the end of the fourteenth century. It was inhabited by the ducal family until 1760. The facade made of square travertine blocks leads to a Renaissance courtyard surrounded by an axterior gallery with inscriptions and roman ruins.
● The Natural Reserve of Calanchi covers an area of about 400 hectares. It was established in 1995 and has been the WWF Oasis since 1999. The area developes from the 100 meters of the valley floor of Piomba torrent to about 500 meters of Colle della Giustizia. The majestic natural architectures offer a wonderful lunar landscape. They originated from a form of dynamic erosion and characterized by the presence of varied fauna and flora.
● The Tower of Cerrano is located on the area of Pineto city and represents one of the defensive outposts built by the Spanish along the coast of Abruzzo in the XVI century. It was restored in the nineties of the twentieth century; it is currently the headquarter of the Protected Marine Area of Cerrano. The dune area on the beach is reserved for the protection of the Kentish plover bird and the mediterrean flora such as the sea lily and the mullein of Gargano.
● Ethnographic Civic Museum
● The Didactic Museum of musical instruments
What to eat: Among the products of the local cuisine, you can enjoy the famous pecorino cheese, obtained by raw whole milk and lamb curd and products based on liquorice, a type of plant historically widespread in the clay soils of Cerrano. Another typical character of the area is the black chicken from Atri, involved in a special recovery project. This is an indigenous breed distinguished by the production of little tasty white eggs. There is also the Pan Ducale, a typical dessert made with mixture of eggs, flour, almonds and filled with dark chocolate. The recipe dates back to 1300.
Official Website Comune di Atri
SOURCE: www.abruzzoturismo.it
