Spellbinding Santo Stefano di Sessanio

Piazzetta, Santo Stefano di Sessanio

Leaving the Rocca Calascio we continued on towards Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the heart of Abruzzo. Ever since watching the movie ‘The American’ starring George Clooney, I’ve wanted to visit this scenic 16th century hill village. It looked absolutely stunning, just as it did in the film, apart from the sad loss of the tower in the 2009 earthquake. It was picture perfect; around every corner was a different postcard scene. It is no surprise that it has won the award for being one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Abruzzo has many alluring, ancient hill towns rivalling those of Tuscany and Umbria and the region has won 19 ‘Borghi Piu Belli d’Italia’ awards which is more than any other region in all of Italy.

Traditional Crafts

On entering the village I felt as if I was walking into a different era. There were many talented craftspeople displaying their trades.

Weaving the seat of a chair

Lace-making in the piazza

Being less than two hour's drive away from Rome, nowadays the people here depend on tourism as their main source of income. In the past seven years typical aspects of village life were revived when local artisans were encouraged to move in and set up workshops. They help preserve the identity and culture of their region. With its quaint little artisan shops, art galleries, restaurants and cafés tucked into ancient stone buildings, it provides everything you could want.

Artigianato Artistico

In the handloom weaver’s shop local women weave woollen bedspreads, rugs and throws for sale. Others make linen embroidered bed sheets and lace pillowcases. In the tiny food stores you can purchase locally produced salami, mountain cheeses, homemade breads, jars of wild saffron, jams and pots of honey. There is also a potter’s kiln with hand-made ceramics that you won’t find anywhere else.

On the first weekend of September each year is the lentil festival Sagra delle Lenticchie which celebrates their famous brown lentils. Hundreds of people come to enjoy tasting different lentil dishes.

The village

We enjoyed walking through the village enjoying its sounds, smells and beauty and best of all - no traffic, apart from the odd Ape or Vespa.

We meandered around the labyrinth of narrow, charming cobblestone streets, ancient stone houses with flower-filled balconies, steep stairways, arches and tiny piazzas which characterize Santo Stefano di Sessanio.

Porta Lorda

Piazza di Capo Castello

There is a gorgeous view from the top of the village of the charming historic villages of Castelvecchio Calvisio, Barisciano and Carapelle Calvisio that surround the Gran Sasso National Park.

The village faces the Navelli plain. Its historic stone houses with thick walls and small windows huddle up close to one another around the perimeter. The alleys are bridged by picturesque archways.

Porta Medicea and the coat of arms of the Medici family with five balls

I loved the elegant arches on this gorgeous building ‘The Palazzo del Capitano’ with its Renaissance style gallery.

Palazzo del Capitano

Daniele, our guide, brought us through this narrow gap in the wall called ‘La Buscella’; a place where it is said that in medieval times, young lovers met to steal fleeting kisses, not being able to do so publicly.

La Buscella

Francesco Hayez - The Kiss (1859)

Recent restoration

Since 2004, about a quarter of the ancient houses have been restored by entrepreneur Daniel Kihlgren (44). I found a fascinating article about him here.

With the support of architects, historians, the Abruzzo folk museum and the regional tourist board, he succeeded in reviving the village and giving it back its genuine medieval feel. His hotel Sextantio Albergo Diffuso has rooms in various buildings throughout the village. During the reconstruction, local tradesmen remained as faithful as possible to the artistic style of the past.

Sextantio Albergo Diffuso

George and the film crew stayed here during the making of the movie. Rooms have original rustic open fireplaces and pre-war peasant furniture gleaned from local markets and antique stores. I would love to return  for a few days and immerse myself in this mountain village lifestyle.

The Tower

The twisting paths that wind between the houses lead to the spot where the Tower used to stand. Now the metal scaffolding glistening in the sunlight gives hope that the tower will soon return to its former glory.

Restoration has already started and I read that it is due to be completed by 2013. I hope to return to Santo Stefano when this is done and see that magnificent view from the top of the tower. There was so much that we didn’t get to see during our short tour: the restaurants, the art galleries, the attractive church of Madonna del Lago at the edge of the lake - so many reasons to return.

Piazza Medicea

We stopped for an aperitivo in a small piazza before heading off to Ristoro Mucciante for dinner. More about our evening meal in Campo Imperatore in my next post…

If you appreciate nature and are interested in local ways and culture you’ll love Santo Stefano di Sessanio. It gives you a glimpse into the authentic peasant life of a century ago, softened by modern conveniences.

Further reading:

Santo Stefano di Sessanio by abruzzoupndown

Medici memories by Bodach of About Abruzzo

Icons of Beauty - George Clooney and Abruzzo in The American by Sammy of Life in Abruzzo

The Magic of the Rocca Calascio

I finally succeeded in visiting the dramatic Rocca Calascio after a long time wishing to see it. The problem has always been getting there. We haven’t been brave enough to rent a car in Italy yet and have managed most of our trips so far around Abruzzo using buses and trains. The journey is through mountainous terrain with narrow rocky roads, many of which have no guardrails.

By bus from Pescara you have to change at L’Aquila and wait for four hours there to get another one to Calascio. As there is no bus back in the evening you would have to stay there overnight. Fortunately for us we discovered Daniele, a guide/driver for the region who speaks English and includes the Rocca Calascio in his tours.

Getting There

Daniele departed from Pescara in the direction of Rome and left the highway at the Bussi exit. We stopped along the way and marvelled at the atmospheric, ancient Abbazia di San Clemente in Casauria. It was built in 871 AD and just recently reopened following restoration after being damaged in the April 2009 earthquake.

Interior of Abbazia di San Clemente

Next we made a short stop at the church of San Pietro ad Oratorium with its ‘magic square’ (on the left hand side of the main portal) and we admired the crystal clear Tirino river near Capestrano.

Chiesa di San Pietro ad Oratorium

The Tirino River is claimed to be the cleanest in Europe

Then he drove in the direction of L’Aquila, turned at Ofena and continued on to Calascio. The whole journey took about an hour and a half. He bravely negotiated the breathtaking winding roads up to the small medieval village of Calascio at the foot of the castle. These roads are so narrow that when we met a string of cars going in opposite direction there was no room to pass; so the cars in front had to reverse back to a safe spot.

On another bend there was a break in the guardrail as if a car had crashed into it and the two sections were held together with a string of red and white striped ribbon to prevent cars from going over the edge!

The Village of Calascio

The houses in the village of Calascio curl around the base of the mountain forming a defensive wall. The startling scenery around it is of rugged towering mountain ranges over valleys and immense plains. We rambled through the narrow village streets and stopped at the Rifugio della Rocca, a charming small restaurant and hotel with a simple, rustic and cozy interior. If you take the bus this would be a lovely place to spend the night. Sheep graze on the hillsides around and the villagers cultivate lentils and saffron in the valley below.

Rifugio della Rocca, Calascio

Interior of Rifugio della Rocca

The Church of Santa Maria della Pietà

Reva, an American girl who is working her way around Italy, joined us for this tour. She also has an interesting blog about her travels called Here’s to Italy. Together we hiked from the village following a rocky path towards the impressive white limestone fortress. The day was sunny and hot 32C (96F) with incredibly clear blue skies. Halfway up the hill we passed the beautiful octagonal church of Santa Maria della Pietà standing on a solitary plateau.


Santa Maria della Pieta with the Corno Grande in the background

It was built between the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Rocca Calascio was the property of the Medicis. The door of the church was open and being curious we headed towards it eager to see how it looked inside. We considered ourselves fortunate as Daniele said that it was usually closed. Alas, there was a private ceremony taking place and we were not allowed to enter. John however got a chance to take this quick photo of the interior from the doorway with his phone.

Interior of Santa Maria della Pieta

The Fortress of Calascio

A little history: At 1460m above sea level the Rocca Calascio is the highest and one of the oldest fortresses in Italy. It was built as a single watchtower in the tenth century for military purposes. There is a walled courtyard with four cylindrical towers at the corners. A taller inner tower was added in the thirteenth century. It was badly damaged by an earthquake centuries ago and never rebuilt so now only the exterior walls remain. Even though it is in ruins it still looks imposing. This drawing by Silvio Germano shows how the Rocca Calascio would have looked in the thirteenth century…

Before getting to the drawbridge you have to climb over a very stony patch and there is no rail to hold on to.

We wandered through the fortress and the wonderful weather provided us with clear views for miles over the magnificent terrain: Campo Imperatore, the Navelli plain and the majestic Gran Sasso Mountains. The absolute silence, the immensity of the surroundings and the high mountains create magical views from the top of the fortress. The atmosphere here is of the Medieval Ages, a place between reality, fantasy and imagination, silence and solitude.

The Rocca Calascio in the province of L’Aquila is one of the most magical places in Abruzzo and this entire day made wishes come true for me. If you are looking for a guide we highly recommend Daniele. He is enthusiastic, friendly and generous and delighted to share his intensive knowledge of the region with visitors. Let yourself be carried away by the Rocca Calascio, its history and the beauty of its breathtaking landscape.

Further reading:
The Spectacular Castle, Rocca Calascio by Tatiana of Italian Slow Walks
Filmed in Abruzzo and Rocca Calascio by Bodach of About Abruzzo
An Italian Fort Worth a Walk To by Sammy of Life in Abruzzo
Getting to Calascio by Christina of Searching for Calascio