Abruzzo featured on AmexEssentials Weekend Guide

When American Express Essentials magazine approached me to write about a lesser known place in Italy, capturing the spirit of the region with tips that would appeal to a wide range of interests, I happily suggested featuring Abruzzo, a place I hold very dear in my heart.

I've mentioned Abruzzo in many posts on this blog. 

I shared a photo essay on my first (of many) weekend escape to Abruzzo; 

I shared an account of the chilling night of the earthquake; 

I added a 2009 diary from set entry; 

I listed all the cheese I ate while filming my TV show in Abruzzo; 

I shared a recipe for a seafood dish called scapece di Vasto; 

I have gone on and on, waxing poetic and how to make arrosticini; 

I shared my discovery of vino cotto, cooked wine must.

Abruzzo is where I discovered that size does not matter. Where I celebrate all my birthdays. The place where my son and I unplug and spend long moments hypnotized by the crackling fireplace, enjoying the silence and restoring importance to the little things. Abruzzo is the place where I have met some of my dearest friends. 

It's a special place, and I was happy to "give back" and show gratitude for all that it has given me, by mentioning some of my favorite things about it in a widely read magazine.

The link to the article is here: Weekend Getaway Guide: Abruzzo, Italy

I hope you enjoy reading it.

48 hours in Santo Stefano di Sessanio

The region of Abruzzo is one of Italy's best kept secrets. The Medieval hilltop village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, in the L'Aquila province, sits on the edge of the Campo Imperatore plain in the Apennine Mountains, within the breathtakingly beautiful Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.

 

Santo Stefano di Sessanio has ancient origins (paleolithic!) and a Medieval imprint, but it flourished under the Medicis in the late 1500s with agriculture contributing to the area’s economy mostly thanks to transhumance. This is the ages-old moving of herds of sheep from the valleys to high altitude mountain pastures in summer. Unfortunately in the mid-19th century the area suffered from extreme poverty leading to mass emigration. S. Stefano di Sessanio fell into abandonment.

The conservation efforts introduced here since 2004 spearheaded by Italo-Swede philanthropist Daniele Kihlgren to preserve the area’s cultural heritage, restored dignity to the pastoral culture that once inhabited these remote rural areas. Kihlgren purchased a portion of the village and maintained the smoke-blackened walls and original buildings intact. With a team of enlightened historians, architects and anthropologists, he re-purposed native materials and reconditioned ancient arte povera furnishings for his unique project: Kihlgern urged local authorities to leave Santo Stefano in its original condition.

In 2007 Daniele Kihlgren's "embargo" on building new houses turned into a legislative ban on the use of concrete. This has led to a complete turnaround: with a permanent population in the very low hundreds, today S. Stefano di Sessanio is a delightful vacation getaway for lovers of nature, fine dining and R&R. By encouraging investment in the traditional trades and crafts of the region, the village now boasts many shops that sell locally produced handicrafts like lace, woven fabrics, beeswax candles and artisanal soap. Others sell honey and jam, cured meats, olive oil, grains and cereals, local cheese, as well as the region's famous lentils.

Continue Reading ➔ my tips for spending 48 hours in Santo Stefano di Sessanio.

Vino Cotto - Ancient Abruzzo tradition

I see a pattern forming. My birthday happens to fall in the middle of the "ponte del primo maggio" which is that curious 'bridge' that Italians like to build between May 1st and the weekend, in order to celebrate Italian Labor Day and the advent of Spring in a long weekend of eating fava beans and pecorino, relaxing in verdant meadows and allowing laziness to dictate the tempo.

For two consecutive years I have spent said long weekend in Abruzzo celebrating with my son, thanks to my gracious friend Daniele Kihlgren –– a handsome philanthropist with a penchant for rescuing abandoned hilltop villages –– as his guest in the astounding Sextantio Albergo Diffuso.

The "diffused hotel" with its unique rooms scattered in the small village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, is a place I hold very dear to my heart, and I have written about it in this post.

I try to visit Santo Stefano di Sessanio as often as I can, not only on my birthday. When my dad comes to visit from California, we have made it a habit to go there to unwind from city bedlam, nap a lot and eat fantastic food. When there's a spare day off in the school calendar, or when we need to escape routine, my son and I drive 1 hour east of Rome past L'Aquila, turn up a craggy road and settle into our own little eagle's perch in Sextantio, gnawing on arrosticini, and drinking vino contadino – rustic table wine.

This past birthday weekend, during one of the frequent food benders and libations enjoyed in the company of local friends, I was introduced to vino cotto, an ancient beverage produced for thousands of years in the inland, mountain areas of Abruzzo and Le Marche.
Vino cotto (cooked wine) is an ancient Greek wine-making tradition later inherited by the local Piceni people. The pressed must of local grapes is slowly boiled in large cauldrons over a wood fire, and reduced by one third. It is then cooled and poured to ferment in oak barrels where it is left to age slowly, untouched for as much as 15-30 years.

Local lore has it that when in ancient times the harvest was less impressive than usual, or when the owner of the estate would choose the better crops for himself and leave the farmers with the more battered grapes, these would wisely make vino cotto and thus end up drinking better than their employer.

According to historians, Carthaginian ruler Hannibal, during the trek to fight the second Punic war against the Romans, stopped in a village called Atri in Abruzzo, where he fed his men and horses vino cotto... the rest (and the outcome of the battle) is history.

The Abruzzesi traditionally consider vino cotto a celebratory beverage for important occasions. Families start aging a barrel of vino cotto for each child born in the family, and break it open on their wedding day.

I definitely celebrated in true Abruzzo fashion with this fruity, aromatic sweet dessert wine, accompanied by almond biscotti and homemade custard. I would also like to try it with blue, stinky cheese, or poured generously over gelato.

For now I'll simply have to dream about it. Or drive back to Abruzzo to get some.

Sextantio Albergo Diffuso
Via Principe Umberto
67020 Santo Stefano di Sessanio (AQ)
Tel. +39 0862 899112

Abruzzo for the weekend

Santa Maria della Pietà, 17th century church, half way up the hike to Rocca Calascio

My dad, stepmother and friends came to visit us last week, and we were very excited to have them over. Without much planning, we decided to go to Abruzzo for the weekend. Here are just a few images of those two magical days.

the Rocca Calascio fortress

panorama from Rocca Calascio, 1460 m elevation (Castel del Monte in the distance) 

View from my room ~ Sextantio Albergo Diffuso

our room is called "Camera sul campanile" – room overlooking the belfry 

Sunset at Santo Stefano di Sessanio

After dinner the restaurant serves homemade digestive bitters

Smiles. Plenty of them.