From the Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic coast, this region east of Rome is filled with history, spectacular sights and culinary delights.
We met our guide, Fabrizio Lucci , in Sulmona, Italy, at Hotel Ovidius. The Roman poet Ovid was born in Sulmona in 43 BC. The small city has a beautiful town square, bordered by an intact Roman aqueduct. Farmers markets are held twice weekly where you can often find porchetta food trucks.
Leaving Sulmona, one of our side trips was to Campo Imperatore in Gran Sasso National Park to sample arrosticini . The drive goes into the high country of alpine meadows where sheep graze, and food emporiums are set up with outside barbecues — hot and ready for cooking. The hilltop town of Scanno sits in the Sagittario Valley and is surrounded by the Majella mountains. Scanno may be the most beautiful hill town in all of Abruzzo. With its very steep streets, hidden passages and winding alleyways, it’s a town made for walking. It’s also a center of the jewelry industry, particularly filigreed pendants. One of the shops, Oreficeria Di Rienzo Armando, has preserved their original laboratory, so you can see the ancient tools of the jewelry makers.
Items served during La Panarda included Slow Food cured meats, salsicciotto Frentano and Ventricina del Vastese, with fried eggplant, zucchini and gree. Three towns still do La Panarda in all its splendor: Sulmona , Lanciano and Villavallelonga . Since we were not visiting at the right time of year, Fabrizio stepped in and found a willing partner in Agriturismo Caniloro in Lanciano. Owners Pina and Berardino love to recreate ancient traditions, and they agreed to put together a “mini” Panarda for our group of six with wine and 21 courses served family style, starting at 1 p.m. The cost was 70 euros per person, a raving bargain.
The ancient town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio is located in the highest region of the Apennine Mountains with many structures dating from the 11th to 15th centuries, some constructed by the Medicis. La Selvotta Azienda Agricola offers tours and tastings of their Slow Food products of extra virgin olive oil and cioccolato, a spreadable chocolate cream.
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