Boutique hotels
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Sextantio Albergo Diffuso
- Style
- Fortress conversion
- Setting
- Scattered around Santo Stefano
Abruzzo Overview
Italy
- Countryside
- Ain’t no mountain high enough
- Country life
- Arts, crafts and cobbles
Abruzzo is rustic, rural, romantic Italy at its undiscovered finest, where sheep roam free and mediaeval villages dot the landscape…
This shepherd’s paradise still revels in the simple life: farming, craftwork and fresh mountain air. Though many of the towns and castles were built in the Middle Ages, the advanced architecture astonishes today’s visitors. Hilltop villages, covered porticos and arched alleyways make up the man-made component; the rest is taken care of by the mountains. The wild terrain of the spectacular Apennines is largely unspoilt, leaving ancient sheep-droving routes and shepherds’ shacks intact. High hillside plateaux are blanketed with crocuses, orchids and poppies. The cuisine and culture is equally rustic, with much of the regional flavour provided by the local lamb. If the sea calls, get back down to ground level and hit the long, sandy shores of the Adriatic coastline.
Absolutely Abruzzo
Abruzzese cuisine is fond of the humble lentil, nourished in Italian soils since just after biblical times. The region’s version is held in particularly high regard, because it’s an old and rare species that only mountains can grow. This nutty, brown legume is iron-rich thanks to the snows and springs that water it. Locals love it so much, they have an annual celebration every September.
Local knowledge
- Taxis
- You’re more likely to find a mule pulling a cart of passengers than a cab in these rugged rural parts. Ask your hotel for advice.
- Tipping culture
- Service charge will most likely be included, but it’s customary to round up the bill if you’re happy.
- Siesta and fiesta
- Shops tend to shut down between 1pm and 5pm. Banks are open Monday to Friday, from 8.30am until 4pm, with an hour off for lunch between 1.30pm and 2.30pm. Locals usually go out to eat at around 8pm.
- Packing tips
- A shepherd’s crook to move mountain sheep out of your way; fleeces and fluffy blankets; wildlife-spying binoculars.
- Recommended reads
- The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinniss; A Kiss from Maddalena by Christopher Castellani.
- Cuisine
- Altitude-cultivated pulses and tubers, chilli, precious saffron and pecorino cheese take centre stage in Abruzzese cuisine. Munch on milk-fed mountain lamb, fresh from a local plain. It will either be roasted (abbacchio), cubed and on skewers (arrosticini), grilled on charcoal or in a casserole. The regional pasta is maccheroni alla chitarra, named after the guitar-like device that shapes the sheets into strips. The best wine is the fruity, dry red, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.
- Currency
- Euro (€).
- Time zone
- GMT +1.
- Dialling codes
- Italy country code: +39; L’Aquila: (0)862.
- Do go/don't go
- The slopes will be snow-covered from December until early April. The warmest temperatures are in June and July. Evenings up in the mountains are chilly.
Don't go home without...
...stocking up on confetti in Sulmona. Heavier than the stuff you might throw at a pair of newlyweds, these sugar-coated almonds have been made here for centuries.
