Great food, traditions, character beaches and mountains

About Abruzzo

map

Abruzzo is a region in the center of Italy. The sea and the mountain dominate the horizon. Abruzzo was denominated “the Greenest Region in Europe”. Hence, it offers large areas of forest, national parks and breathtaking scenery. There are bears, wolves, eagles, wild boars and mountain goats still living wild in the mountains – don’t worry it is very safe!

Borrello has one of many spectacular waterfalls to visit. Located in Fara San Martino there are natural springs and canals, rushing down the mountain and feeding into the pasta factories further down the hill. Casoli and Bomba lakes provide warming scenery as well as various water sports and picnic areas. From Pretoro you get to view the rolling Abruzzi hills descending down towards the beach. In winter from la Maielletta, almost 2000 meters high, you can witness a white sea of virgin snow reaching to the horizon. In Palena the mountain creates a never ending vertical wall of solid rock offering either adventurous rock climbing and hiking or for the less adventurous a chair lift into the famous grottos. At Passo Lanciano ski resort, with the sun setting behind the mountain, a spectacle to be witnessed is darkness on the Adriatic side of Abruzzo and light on the top of the mountain and light on the Mediterranean side. Breathtaking.

Abruzzo has more European blue flags for beach quality than anywhere else in Italy. Along the coast near Lanciano are protected “Trabocchi” wooden fishing huts which stand in the sea like piers. Even though our area is rich it has maintained clean water and respect for the coast line. Building is very restricted along the coast so big hotels are nowhere to be seen. Many areas are natural reserves.

There are organised “Lidos” (open from June to the end of August) with all the facilities to hire umbrellas or deck chairs, have a warm shower or eat something quick. If on the other hand you prefer something quieter there are secret coves. The beaches are both sandy and stony.

San Vito is Lanciano’s nearest beach. There is a “Traboccho” on a pier you can walk along, a sandy beach, facilities open all year round (like pizzeria, ice-cream – one of the best, local fish fry-up along the road, very high quality fish restaurants – L’Angolino). At high season, there is usually free aqua-gym in the sea, equipment and water sports for hire. In the evening there is often live music of all tastes, three times a year they do fireworks on the sea and there is a festival at the end of August to buy cooked fresh fish on the beach.

Out of season the weather can still be warm so buying and ice-cream and walking along the sea front is equally pleasurable. To promenade, the sea front at Fossacesia is longer. It is the next beach south from San Vito. It has a mix of sandy and pebbly beaches. In the summer there are usually lines of stalls selling all kids of gifts in the evening.

Producing your own wine is very fulfilling. You need expert help of course – any local man over the age of 60 will have gallons of advice. If you don’t have a vineyard and antique wooden tools available to you then you could always take a trip to a local winery.

To witness the wine making process you need to travel to Lanciano from the end of September to the end of October – just after the Lanciano festival. Day and night tractors full of local grapes driven by exhausted and thirsty farmers flow into the building. The new wine comes on to the market on the 11th November (famous date for Italians) where men get together for a night of “wine tasting” and merriment.

Wines from Abruzzo are no longer secret tips but internationally respected brands. That is enough talk, come and see for yourself, and “Salute”.

The population disappears in October or November. The streets are empty. While growing grapes is becoming less popular growing olives seems to be everybody’s pass time in Abruzzo. If people are not at work, they are in the fields picking olives in October or November. On a warm Autumn’s day, it is great fun and people recommend it. Having your own oil makes any local family proud. Oil tasting is also an important skill. You can visit farm houses and taste various flavours of oil.

Passata is the famous tomato sauce used for pasta and pizza. A tradition that continues today in Abruzzo is making your own sauce. In August, when you usually have more time on your hands, families choose a day when they get up at sun rise and spend half to the whole day bottling home grown tomatoes to have a years supply of passata.

Apart from great pizza, pasta, meat, fish and vegetables, Abruzzo produces some unique and fantastic liquors. The king is Limoncello – a lemon based liquor. Each family has the best limoncello and a secret recipe that dates back generations. In Abruzzo you make liquors out of anything you grow in the garden.

If you like spicy food, try pickled, stuffed chilly peppers. There are other less dangerous pickles that are equally tasty of course and less extreme.

Strangely, honey is also a local specialty. Even stranger, so are sugared almonds and truffles.

Festivals in Abruzzo

Events in Lanciano

July, August and the first two weeks in September is a very lively period in and around Lanciano. After Ferragosto (15^th August), Lanciano begins to really fill up and the silly season takes off in a memorable way. There is something to do or see every night for all ages. The crowds grow and activities get more and more extravagant until the arrival of the main festival from the 14^th to the 16^th of September, the biggest date in Abruzzo’s social calendar.

Lanciano : Events
JULY TO SEPTEMBER
From the second week in July, through the whole of August to the first week in September	Daily activities for all the family. For the program look at www.comune.lanciano.chieti.it
The whole of August	‘L'Estate Musicale Frentana’ daily musical concerts on an International level held around Lanciano. This event attracts large numbers of international musicals and appeals to music lovers (classical, jazz, opera)
Summer period	For cabaret dates for 2016 check out the site www.FestivalNazionaledelCabaret.it Il Festival Nazionale del Cabaret
31 August	St. Egidio’s toy Fair, a children’s and romantic’s flee market
SEPTEMBER
First weekend in September	Inter-quarter contest for the Mastrogiurato
The following day	Historical re-enactment of the Mastrogiurato including fire eaters, sword fighting and competitions
8 September at 10.00	‘Il Dono’ ‘ local farmer’s auction goods they donate for charity. There is also a procession of traditional farming
14-16 September	Spectacular festival at the centre of Lanciano. It starts at 4.00 am and continues for three days. Lots of music, games, stalls and fireworks. Let’s not forget the horse racing at the center of Lanciano
OCTOBER
October	Children’s exhibition (Fierabilandia)
DECEMBER
December	Agricultural feed Exhibition (Fiera Agroalimentare)
23 December	Local Lanciano procession call ‘La Squilla’
JANUARY
January	Wedding exhibition (Fiera Sposiamoci)
17 January	St. Antonio’s play. Most quarters and surrounding villages put on a re-enactment of the story of St. Antonio in the form of a play in dialect
FEBRUARY
February	Motor Show (Fiera Route & Motori show)
3 February	Festival of San Biagio. On this day you traditionally get your throat blessed at a local church (San Biagio)
Shrove Tuesday	Carnival starts. Children run through the streets and play tricks on un-suspecting adults and peers. In Pescara and Francavilla there are processions of floats / dressed up trucks.
APRIL
Holy week	an important period for Lanciano
Easter Friday at 7.00 pm	Procession at the centre of Lanciano (starting at the church of St. Chiara)
Easter Sunday mid-day	Procession starting at the Cathedral
Easter Monday	Traditional trip out of Lanciano usually into the countryside
Tuesday at mid-day	Procession around the Cathedral
During the month	National Agricultural Fair 'La Fiera Nazionale dell'Agricoltura'
MAY
May	Living today Exhibition (Fiera Abitare Oggi)

FESTIVALS

A cause for celebration, dancing and eating and drinking too much with the locals. Some festivals are small traditional affairs with a local folk band and food, others like the Lanciano festival are three days of music, fun fairs, processions and fireworks. The Lanciano festival is an attraction for thousands to visit the city and see something unique. The Lanciano festival starts with a four o’clock firework display (am, not pm). The fireworks last about half an hour. You will be surprised how many locals of all ages are out to witness the opening of the festival.

A moving religious festival occurs at the Holy week when a local volunteer from each parish drags a life size crucifix through the streets bare foot. Following him are other people from the parish singing carols. It is a great honour to play the part of Jesus.

At the end of August in Lanciano there is an amazing medieval re-enactment including a long procession in costume, with load drumming and trumpet fanfares. The finale is a competition of strength, sword fighting and fire eaters. Of course, more fireworks.

One thing is guaranteed, you will not get bored.

At Pretoro I witnessed something I was sure would be a terrible experience, the ... snake festival. It actually cured any fears I had towards snakes and helped me understand them. The villagers go out into the hills the morning of the festival and catch as many snakes as they can find. They then walk about the streets with them around their bodies ‘ wild snakes!! But there are very few bites or problems, nobody gets hurt, and before you know it you are having your picture taken with a local snake. If you have a fear of snakes, I suggest you try it out, it will either cure you or send you mad.

Some of the local festivals are quite spectacular. Lanciano is great for the massive diversity of activities over such a long period. At Fara San Martino they let off fireworks with the mountain as a backdrop. At San Vito they have a firework display in the sea.

ABRUZZO: LIST OF FESTIVALS
Aprox. date
MAY
First week in May	Artichoke festival in Cupello
31 May	Festival / auction of typical products at Torino di Sangro
JUNE
28 ‘ 30^th June	Guardiagrele (Ch) ‘ Wild bore festival
JULY
13 July	Re-enactment of the Saracens attack in Villamagna
In July	Festival in Treglio
In July	Ham and Melon festival in Mozzagrogna
In July	Arrosticini (type of kebab) festival Cupello
First week in July	Show from the different quarters Cupello
28 July	Show from the quarter Cupello
22-25 July	Festival in Tollo
22-25 July	Housewife’s festival in Frisa
29-30 July	Festival in Vacri
End of July	Festival of fried fish at Fossacesia
End of July	Fisherman’s festival at Casacanditella
End of July beginning of August	Wine festival at San Martino sulla Marruccina
End of July	Lamb festival at Pizzoferrato
AUGUST
First week in August	Festival in Montazzoli
In August	Cake and biscuits Festival in Mozzagrogna
First Saturday in August	Pork festival in Carpineto Sinello (Ch)
First weekend in August	Wine, music and poetry festival in Canosa Sannita
Beginning of August	Festival at Tufillo
Beginning of August	Festival at Palombaro
Beginning of August	Traditional food festival in Tollo
First two weeks in August	Wild bore festival at Pennapiedimonte
3-7 August	Festival in Miglianico
First three weeks of August	Local craftsman show in Guardiagrele
4-7 August	Farmer’s festival in Monte Marcone di Atessa
5-6 August	Pasta festival in Vasto
5-7 August	Good food festival at Crecchio
6-7 August	Biscuit and wine festival at Casalbordino
6-7 August	Festival at Roccamontepiano
7 August	Pasta and hunter’s festival Pennadomo
9-11 August	Festival at Pretoro
9-10 August	Good food festival at Pollutri
10 August	Festival at San Giovanni Lipioni
10-14 August	Sausage festival at Serre a small village near Lanciano
10-15 August	Pasta festival at Pennadomo
10-11 August	Festival at Carunchio
10-12 August	Typical foods festival at Rocca San Giovanni
11-15 August	Beer and potato festival at Pizzoferrato
12-17 August	Festival at Casoli
11-13 August	Beer festival at Castiglione Messer Marino
11-13 August	Fried pizza festival Rapino
12 August	Countryside and walkers festival at Guilmi
12 August	Wine festival in Vasto
13 August	Pork festival at Lentella
13-15 August	Sheep’s cheese festival at Palena
14 August	Pasta festival at Montebello sul Sangro
14 August	Festival at Guilmi
14 August	Truffle festival at Torrebruna
14 August	Festival at Miglianico
Middle of August	Sheep festival in Furci
15 August	Ferragosto ‘ Major bank holiday
15 August	Grilled lamb festival at Roccaspinalveti
18-19 August	Festival at Cupello
19-20 August	Rocca San Giovanni Jazz festival ‘ for information wolpe@katamail.com
20-21 August	Pasta festival at Fara San Martino
20-21 August	Gnomes festival at Piana delle Mele - Guardiagrele
20-21 August	Truffles festival at Quadri
21 August	Pizza Festival Civitella Messer Ramondo
26-27 August	Pizza festival at Pianibbie small village near Casoli
Last week in August	Festival of Vacri
31 August	Festival at Pretoro
End of August	Festival of Arrosticini (type of kebab)
End of August	Farmer’s festival Civitaluparella
SEPTEMBER
September	Festival of the grape and the wine in Giuliano Teatino
First or second week in September	Grape festival in Mozzagrogna
3-4 September	Pork festival at Vacri
10 ‘ 12 September	Mountain walk and festival in Castiglione Messer Marino
11 September	A gincana western at Vacri
24-25 September	Display and market of honey at Tornareccio
In the month of September	‘Cooked wine’ festival at Roccamontepiano
OCTOBER
8-9 October	Festival of cooks at Villa Santa Maria
15-16 October	Festival at San Giovanni Lipioni
NOVEMBER
4 November	Roccamontepiano Sagra della Castagna ‘ chestnut festival.
15 - 16 November	Treglio Festa del Vino Novello. ‘ New wine festival
End of November	Caldari - Ortona wine festival
DECEMBER
First Saturday in December	Carunchio ‘White Truffle’ festival
First Saturday in December	Pollutri ‘ Bean festival

CONTACT INFORMATION

You can e-mail or telephone us with the dates of your choice and we will then check availability and confirm

Phillip Carleton

E-MAIL ADDRESS phillipcarleton@iol.it

TELEPHONE +39 0872 43298

MOBILE CELLULAR +39 347 644 8186