We were there with P’s sister and husband who had been to Loreto once before, but not at festival time. They were in for a treat.

We had the white ox, with an “angel” on its back, genuflecting outside several churches in the town. We had plenty of fireworks and early morning “canon fire”.

There was a cycling race and a fantastic outdoor theatre production energetically telling the story of the San Zopito legend in local dialect.

Add to that a chance to taste the famous wine from the house of Valentini, plenty of food stalls, concerts over three nights, a local lottery (I really wanted to win the quad) and even a photo competition with a festival theme.

If there was one small blip it was the weather. One of the key events is the meeting of the ox and the relics of San Zopito in Piazza Garibaldi after evening mass. Since the weather forecasters got it right and the predicted downpours and thunderstorms came or way the procession of the relics of San Zopito and meeting with the ox was postponed.

So instead of the festival finishing up on 13 June, there were a few days to gather ourselves, before the festival continued on 25 July.

Some friends of ours arriving from the UK towards the end of July were feeling quite pleased that they hadn’t missed the festival after all.

Since I’ve written about San Zopito a few times already I’m going to let the photos I took tell the story of this year’s festival.

The fifteen photos below are the ones I entered in the photo competition. Although the competition wasn’t for a collection of photos, but rather a single winning photo, I still tried to tell the story of the days of the festival with my submission.

So what do you think of them? Do you think there’s a winning photo among them? Which one would you select?

Well I didn’t win first prize. 

But one of my photographs was selected for 3^rd prize and when I heard the news I was thrilled. I received official notification by email last Wednesday and I’ve been grinning ever since.

Technically this makes me an International Award Winning Photographer! 

Yes, I’ve been insufferable.

It was tough deciding what not to submit and as I selected the images I reminded myself that I wanted the collection to try to represent the entire festival.

It’s due to happen all over again next year. Perhaps it won’t be on such a grand scale but I’ll be doing my best to be there once again.

Pentecost Sunday is on 27 May in 2012 (the date moves each year) and on that Sunday and the following Monday, I expect to see the ox genuflect, see the relics of San Zopito and maybe sample some more very tasty vino from Valentini.

Post from: About Abruzzo

How San Zopito Made Me Insufferable!

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3. The Feast of San Zopito, Loreto Aprutino This is special. A genuflecting white ox dressed in colourful...

Comments are now closed on the competition post.

Selecting the winner wasn’t hard.

I didn’t have to buy a 10 gallon hat to hold all the entries. I didn’t have to get in touch with a firm of independent auditors in order to ensure fair play.

Quite simply Laurie is extra special – as the sole competition entrant! Once I have the address the About Abruzzo San Zopito 300^th Anniversary T-shirt will be winging its way to its new home. (Waiting to hear from you Laurie.)

Truth is I was hoping to be inundated with comments from potential winners.

As somebody who loves T-shirts, the more unique or unusual the better, I thought that there would be a stampede to win one. I guess I miscalculated.

Take a look at the prize, what’s not to like?

Il bue, San Zopito, Loreto Aprutino (PE) by aboutabruzzo
Find more products at the
About Abruzzo Shop.

Alas the stampede didn’t happen.

It looks like if I want to give something away I’m going to have to come up with a more cunning approach.

So since you, the readers of this post, are exactly who I want to win my competitions, what do you suggest I do to get your interest?

Thanks in advance for all your comments.

Post from: About Abruzzo

And the winner is…

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The competition is now closed and the winner has been announced. Please click here to see the result.

The weekend of Pentecost is special for the town of Loreto Aprutino. Traditionally, that is when the annual Festa di San Zopito (Festival of Saint Zopito) takes place, over the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of that weekend.

This year Pentecost falls on Sunday 12 June.

So the dates for the main events of the festival will be 11, 12 and 13 June.

I’ve written about the festival before

• http://aboutabruzzo.com/index.php/2010/07/26/events/the-festa-di-san-zopito-2010-and-how-i-missed-the-killer-shot/
• What is a Festival without a Marching Band?
• The Feast of San Zopito, Loreto Aprutino

But that doesn’t mean I can’t write about it again!

I know it’s two months away but it’s worth noting, as this year is the 300^th anniversary and that could mean it will be bigger and better than ever.

What’s it all about?

Back in 1711 the relics of San Zopito were being transported from the Catacombs in Rome through the countryside of Loreto Aprutino.  A farmer, working in the fields, ignored the procession and continued working. An ox, however, recognised the power of the relics, stopped pulling its plough and got down on its knees!

There is more to the story, but you can discover the rest by clicking on the links above.

To mark this most important festival I have used one of my photos, done a little jiggery-pokery, designed a t-shirt and have made it available to buy on the About Abruzzo Zazzle Store.

Il bue, San Zopito, Loreto Aprutino (PE) by aboutabruzzo
Find more products at the
About Abruzzo Shop 

If you can’t see the t-shirt please

click here.

On the front it has the Ox, decorated in coloured ribbons, being led through the streets of Loreto Aprutino. On the back you can see the aboutabruzzo.com logo.

But I’m giving one away. Yippee I hear you cry, and I can’t blame you.

So how do you win?

Leave a comment on this blog post before Sunday 1^st May indicating which saint’s festival is held in Loreto Aprutino on the weekend of Pentecost.

If you win, I’ll contact you using the email you provide as part of your comment, you can select a t-shirt of size adult large or of size adult medium and I’ll post it to your address.

A couple of things to note:

• Facebook and Twitter activity although very nice and much appreciated will not win the prize
• Multiple comments are not discouraged but they will not increase your chances of winning

The winner will be selected randomly from the list of comments that meet the really tough competition requirements.

In bocca al lupo!

Post from: About Abruzzo

About Abruzzo San Zopito T-Shirt Competition

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Depending on who you are, you might not see anything that’s wrong or you might see something obvious straight away.

Any thoughts?

Any ideas?

Any suggestions?

Here’s a clue – even the dog is male!

My wife once asked a male friend and neighbour “where are the women?” as we walked through the local square. Without a second thought he told us they were at home cooking.

And that is indeed where most of them were.

Unless there is a special festival or a market, there is usually very few women to be seen in the piazza.

It didn’t take me much effort to pick out a few photos of the town without any women in them. If you asked me to pick photos from my collection where there was anything close to an even split I’d probably have to manufacture them using Photoshop.

I’m sure life in a small town in Abruzzo is different than life in Rome or Milan but it appears from this article Italian Women Plan National Protest in Italy Magazine that many women in Italy are unhappy with how they are treated in society.

This paragraph from the article summarises the feeling:

Women in Italy have varied life experiences, often balancing commitments between family life, work, and social obligations. Yet, women are rarely portrayed in Italian media as equals. In fact, a male TV host recently caused controversy by ironing his own clothes on air and challenging gender stereotypes.

Let me say that I don’t feel qualified to talk about how Italian women are treated in Italian society, but I’ve seen quite a bit of Italian TV and advertising to make me feel that something is inherently wrong.

If Italian society was more equitable and males and females were naturally treated with equal respect, would its current prime minister still be as popular among the electorate?

The Se non ora, quando? (If not now, when?) campaign includes a national day of mobilisation (Giornata Nazionale di Mobilitazione delle Donne) across many Italian cities on 13 February.

Looking at the list on the campaign site, I can see that the Abruzzo cities of Avezzano (AQ), Chieti (CH),  Guardiagrele (CH), Lanciano (CH) are Pescara (PE) are taking part.

I wouldn’t hold up Ireland as being a country where all groupings  in society automatically and naturally have the respect they fully deserve but based on conversations with Italian friends who live here they believe women in Ireland are more likely to be recipients of their due respect. I’m not saying Ireland is perfect; I’m saying that Italian women I know who live here believe it is a better society for women.

So where does all this leave us when we look at a piazza that’s populated with men talking about politics, football and what they’ll have for lunch while their female partners or mothers are at home cooking and cleaning?

I’m probably not qualified to answer.

I’ve seen guests in our house in Italy look at us with surprise when they realised that I sometimes cook (not nearly as often and not nearly as well as P), and regularly clean and wash-up. “But that is women’s work” our guests (female included) would say.

Maybe it’s really about choice. Not making assumptions that this is how life is and should be and there is nothing that can be done about it.

What do you think?

Post from: About Abruzzo

Is it a Man’s World?

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That’s the end of the introduction, now the information.

Travel and Tourism

Abruzzo information brochures from Abruzzoturismo are available in Italian, English, German and French covering many aspects of Abruzzo including the sea, the mountains, food and wine, culture, skiing and other active holidays.

I’ve tweeted about this already this week but since not everybody who reads this blog uses Twitter I felt it deserved a mention in a post.

Events

How do you find out what’s happening in Abruzzo? Imagine you’re trying to decide where to stay or you’ve already picked your destination and you want to know what’s on nearby. This site can help you find out what you need to know.

AbruzzoInformation

If you follow the link to Events, Festivals and Exhibitions you can search by keyword (e.g. place name) or event type. It even has an RSS feed if you just want regular updates.

While I’m on the subject of events, an old favourite of mine is the EventieSagre site that does pretty much the same thing for all of Italy. You can filter it down to cover just the Abruzzo region. Although there is often overlap with the AbruzzoInformation site, sometimes an event appears on one but not the other.

This site also provides an RSS feed to help you keep on top of events, just pick the region you’re interested in. (Hint: Abruzzo)

Themed Holidays

Before I list these Abruzzo holidays with a difference let me say that I’ve not tried any of them. I know about them by either receiving information from the people who organise the holiday or I’ve just found them by accident.

Since I haven’t tried them, I can’t pass any comment on what the holiday experience is like. All I can say is that they all appeal to me; they all pass the “hey, that sounds like fun” test. Maybe they’ll appeal to you too.

Singing in Abruzzo, described as a week of songs, laughter, walks in the mountains, great food and the occasional late night soiree with the wolves. What could be more uplifting than choral singing as part of a group in the Abruzzo hills?

With Italy, in Other Words, you can take the writing route by joining fellow travellers for a week-long literary retreat in a remote mountain village where you can read and discuss works of 20th-century writer Ignazio Silone while sampling local wine and great food. They also run classes in creative writing – Abruzzo could be your inspiration.

The Shanticentre in the Teramo province of Abruzzo offers Yoga holidays and activities though out the year. Depending on the time of year the holiday includes use of the pool, hot tub and sauna; yoga classes on the beach; meditation and relaxation overlooking the beautiful scenery of Abruzzo – sounds like a great way to revitalise and unwind.

That’s the list so far. If I come across any more that pass the very scientific “hey, that sounds like fun” test I’ll let you know.

On a completely different note the Abruzzo 2011 Calendar with all profits going to charity is now available for a limited time only.

Click here to preview the calendar, find out more and order your copy.

One satisfied customer said…

It’ll look great in the office when I come back to work and have to face the grim January days. Dead Cool!

I couldn’t agree more, but then I’m a little biased.

Post from: About Abruzzo

An Abruzzo Miscellany – Information, Events, and Themed Holidays

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Guillermo Terraza, Carlo Micheli, Claudio Filippini, Simone Pacelli, Mauro De Federicis, Renzo Ruggieri, Samuele Garofoli, Giacomo Salario, Lucio Turco, Riccardo Biseo and Maria Gabriella Castiglione.

I hadn’t until this morning. I came across a notice indicating that they all had at least three things in common.

• They are musicians.
• They play jazz.
• They’re playing in Pescara.

Over the next six months, starting on 20 November and finishing on 16 April, these artists are playing in Pescara as part of a Sabato in Concerto Jazz series.

There’s a concert every two weeks (with a bit of a break over the Christmas period) in the Maison des Arts, Fondazione Pescarabruzzo, Corso Umberto I, 83.

It kicks off with the Guillermo Terraza Trio on 20 November 2010 at 18.00.

Here’s the full schedule

• 20 November – Guillermo Terraza Trio “Proxima Estaciòn”
• 4 December – Carlo Micheli Jazz Quartet
• 8 January – Claudio Filippini Piano Solo
• 22 January – Simone Pacelli Octet
• 5 February – Mauro De Federicis & Renzo Ruggieri
• 19 February – Samuele Garofoli Urban Quartet
• 5 March – Angelucci – Chiacchiaretta Duo impromptu
• 19 March – Giacomo Salario Trio
• 2 April – Lucio Turco Trio featuring Riccardo Biseo
• 16 April -Maria Gabriella Castiglione “Atmosphere”

I figure there must be at least one or two Jazz fans from Abruzzo who read this blog, know these artists and can comment on what we can expect.

Also maybe somebody has been to the venue, Maison des Arts, and can indicate if this is likely to be formal concert or a fun gig.

What I do know is that the events are free. So if you are interested and are in the Pescara area you have a chance to see some excellent musicians and save some Euros in the process.

Now I like Jazz. There I’ve said it; it’s out in the open.

I love going to live gigs in dingy bars and discovering a new artist or band that takes the place by storm.

When I’m in Pescara I tend to pop in to the local music shops and ask what they’ve got that’s new, and what they’ve got by Abruzzese artists.

I discovered Tony Pancella and Simona Molinari that way. When I say “discovered” I only mean that I’m now aware of their music not that I made them famous. (That probably didn’t need explaining, did it?)

Pescara has a good Jazz scene and every year it hosts Pescara Jazz usually bagging some really well known international artists. In July of last year the festival had Dianna Krall and Pat Metheny. The previous year they had Ahmad Jamal, George Benson and Chick Corea.

Apart from these big names, the festival has plenty of local talent on display also.

But if you can’t wait until Pescara Jazz 2011 maybe the Sabato in Concerto Jazz 2010/2011 in Pescara will keep you satisfied.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Jazzy Saturdays in Pescara, Abruzzo

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For those of you who are interested Leinster & Munster (unbeaten) topped the group with 7 points and Abruzzo (also unbeaten) were second with 5 points.

Final Goup 3 Standings

Match Details

Post from: About Abruzzo

Abruzzo Unbeaten but Finish Second to Leinster & Munster in UEFA Regions Cup

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I arrived at 14:25 about 5 minutes before the game was due to kick-off. The sun was shining and although rain was forecast it promised to be a good day for a football match.

The venue was Tolka Park in Drumcondra, Dublin. Tolka Park is the home ground of Shelbourne Football Club. Shelbourne are currently 4^th in the Airtricity League First Division and their next match against Waterford United at home is crucial.

But I wasn’t at Tolka to see Shelbourne. I was there to see a UEFA Regions Cup match in which a Leinster & Munster selection took on a visiting selection from Abruzzo, Italy. The competition is for amateur players and this match was the first for both teams in the Intermediary Round Group 3 which also includes teams from France (Ligue de Normandie) and San Marino.

Readers of this blog know that I like to visit Abruzzo as often as I can and spend as much time there as possible. This time Abruzzo came to me and I was able to enjoy a hard fought contest between two very skillful teams.

There weren’t too many chances as both defences closed down goal scoring opportunities very quickly. There was plenty of skill on show and a few robust tackles caused the referee, Michael Svendsen (DEN), to reach for his yellow card. But overall the game was played in very sporting manner with plenty of honest endeavour.

The best of the chances in the first half fell to Leinster & Munster. David Lacey came close but his header was tipped over the bar by the Abruzzese keeper Pierfilippo Carfagna.

After a bit of half-time pitch repair the second half got under way and Leinster & Munster immediately applied pressure and almost scored with a chance that fell to Daniel Loughran which went over the bar.

At this stage the Irish seemed to have the upper hand and the Abruzzese substitutes looked on anxiously.

With about 10 minutes to go the heavens opened and the rain that threatened for so long finally arrived.

The Irish didn’t have it all their own way as with less than 5 minutes remaining, a final chance fell to Abruzzo as Manlio D’Amico almost stole the match with a volley that luckily for Leinster & Munster, crashed against the crossbar.

The full-time whistle sounded soon after and the match ended all square with no team managing to score.

A detailed game commentary is available here along with more statistics than even the most ardent football anoraks among you could possibly need.

Although Leinster & Munster had more goal attempts than Abruzzo I think a draw was a fair result as none of the chances were easy to take. The teams even had the same number yellow cards with two each.

For me the highlight of the match was probably whatever was happening on the pitch in the first half when a photographer from Chieti asked me if I was Italian! He knew better after we chatted for a while but I think he was surprised that I knew Abruzzo so well.

The Abruzzese play two more matches in Dublin. Tomorrow, Monday 25^th October, they play the Ligue de Normandie French selection at Dalymount Park, (2:30 kick-off) and on Wednesday they play San Marino at Belfield, (2:30 kick-off). Please note that all times are local.

I wish them well but as I’m a Dub I hope Leinster & Munster top the group. Vediamo.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Honours Even as Abruzzo and Leinster & Munster Fail to Score

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The Palio Delle Pupe in Cappelle Sul Tavo is definitely more spectacular. Fifteen districts compete in an event involving a procession of the dolls (le pupe) representing each area, followed by each doll dancing and exploding into a unique firework display.

Our plan on this trip to Abruzzo definitely included going to the Palio.

But as a result of a few decisions we made and a few invitations we received we decided to skip the Cappelle Sul Tavo event in favour of the festa in Loreto Aprutino.

One of the invitations that could’ve swayed us to go to Cappelle Sul Tavo came from A & S who were travelling to the Palio from close to Civitella Casanova. They were passing near Loreto Aprutino and offered to pick us up and take us with them. It was a very tempting offer and we gave it plenty of thought before declining.

I think the main reasons we decided to go to Festa dell’Assunta e di San Rocco was there was going to be one doll dancing and exploding with fireworks, so we’d get a feel for the Palio even if it was a reduced set, also several friends from Loreto Aprutino said that their festa was small but good, including a band (I’m a sucker for a band) and dancing.

Our friends that went to the Palio Delle Pupe had a great time and enjoyed some spectacular displays. They also saw some locals letting their hair down and becoming more passionate than is usual at an Abruzzo festa. That said, whenever things seemed to get a little out of hand the police were there to calm the situation without resorting to taking anyone away. This softly-softly approach was very appropriate to the inherent joy of the event.

But we didn’t see any of that. We arrived outside the church of Santa Maria in Piano at about 21:35. The band that was due to start at 21:30 was already in full swing with locals already waltzing around the car park turned dance floor.

We arrived starving. We knew we could get something to eat at the festa and decided to skip dinner in favour of whatever was available. So on arrival my primary focus was to get two porchetta panini and a couple of bottles of beer. We found a spot to sit down a little away from the dance floor but in the company of friends we’d run into when we arrived.

The pupa or doll wasn’t due to make an appearance until 23:30 so after scoffing the porchetta and quaffing baffo d’oro we wandered around taking in the atmosphere.

I took a few photos of Loreto Aprutino at night, and of the band and the locals enjoying the music. From the north side of the church you could see the fireworks display of the dolls in Cappelle Sul Tavo a few kilometres away.

The band played traditional music, waltzes, mazurcas and plenty more styles that I can’t remember. A cynic might look at the musicians, think old time ballroom dances and scoff, but they certainly knew how to play and knew what their audience wanted to hear. Everybody went away more than satisfied.

It didn’t seem to take too long for our pupa to make an appearance. I tried to get a good position so I could take photographs but barriers were erected and everyone had to stay behind them. The vigile who gently encouraged us to move to a safer position told us it was for our own safety as the fireworks are dangerous. Well nobody got hurt and everybody was impressed by the display so I think he knew what he was talking about.

From some of the images you can see the jeans of the very brave dancer who controls the doll as it moves in time to the music while firing rockets and missiles into the night sky. Not a job I’d volunteer for.

In Italian the word for doll is pupa. But I couldn’t help thinking of the English word pupa that is often used to describe an insect’s early life before it transforms into a more spectacular adult stage. Perhaps we’re not taking butterflies here but the fairly innocuous doll becomes a thing of significant and short-lived beauty after being transformed by the dancer and the fireworks.

After a year’s hibernation, it’ll all happen again next year.

Post from: About Abruzzo

A Doll’s Transformation on Ferragosto in Loreto Aprutino

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I was on my knees at the entrance to the church of Santa Maria di Recepto waiting patiently for the arrival of the ox. I was feeling proud of my ingenuity. I knew it was going to be difficult to take a really good sharp photograph of the ox on its own, without anything or anybody getting in the way. But I had a plan.

I’d decided on three approaches:

• Follow a really good local photographer as he found ideal vantage points (a little local knowledge goes a long way).
• Escape the crowd and get to the church of Santa Maria di Recepto before everyone else and grab pole position.
• Don’t rely on zooming, use a fast 50mm prime lens and get into the right positions.

Using the 50 mm prime lens on the Canon 400D was going to be a bit of a challenge. It makes it hard to take expansive shots of the crowd and the piazza but I thought t would be ideal for taking a portrait of the ox if I could get up close and personal. I was at the festival two years ago and I had plenty of wider angled shots so I was willing to make this little sacrifice.

It all really well to begin with and to tell the truth I was feeling happy about my approach. I managed to get some sharp photos of the ox and its handlers, I got some crowd pictures as they funnelled through the narrow streets and overall I thought I got better photographs than I did the last time I was at the festival.

But I wanted the killer shot, the crowning glory and I knew where I could get it. I headed for the little church early and got ready. After a while I was joined by other photographers and camera men vying for position as they placed themselves just inside the narrow entrance. It’s a small church, as small as they come, no more than a large room and I believe it is only opened once a year for the feast of San Zopito.

I waited. The crowd swelled outside. I was ready. First I heard the music from the Zampogna, a type of bagpipe being played by “the shepherds” and then came the ox. Mounting the ox far more confidently than I ever would was a young boy, dressed as a girl, with a red flower in his mouth, representing an angel. I rechecked the settings on my camera.  I wanted a portrait with a bit of depth so I set the aperture to f4.0. This was going to be great. The face of the ox and its colourful decorations would fill the frame and all distractions behind it would blur into insignificance. I was ready.

The ox approached. Its handlers were preparing for the most significant part of the ritual. The ox must genuflect in front of several churches on its journey through the town. This was a new ox. It had been trained for the procession and it seemed to be tackling the inclines of the narrow streets of Loreto Aprutino with ease.

Click, click, click, I got it! It was over so fast but I was sure I’d taken a great photo. After the ox and the procession moved on from the church I stepped outside and checked the images on my camera’s screen. Not the best way to check the quality of a photo but it can let you know if something went wrong.

Something had gone wrong. The pictures looked blurry. But I had a fast lens with a wide aperture why did this happen? And then I realised that in my excitement of being in the right place at the right time for what was going to be the most wonderful photograph I’d ever taken I had made a basic error. I wanted a sharp close-up of the ox with everything else blurring and what I got was a completely blurred image. Why? Simple really, it was basic camera shake. I never checked the shutter speed required to take the photo. It was slow enough that natural camera shake came into play. If I’d checked properly I’d have increased the ISO or opened the aperture a bit more and all would have been well. Anyone who had a basic point and click camera was likely to have a better photograph than I ended up with. Hey-ho, you live, you try, you learn! It was fun.

I hope to try again next year. 2011 is the three hundredth anniversary festival. Considering the efforts that went into the 299^th anniversary I expect the Festa di San Zopito 2011 will be even more spectacular. You’ve got plenty of notice as it’s about 10 months away.  Fireworks, traditional music, marching bands and two processions of the ox on consecutive days make the San Zopito weekend very special. Put it in your diary; it takes place on the weekend of Pentecost Sunday which I believe is 11, 12, 13 June (but you should check this).

Where does it happen?

Loreto Aprutino (PE)

Why does this festival happen?

It commemorates a special event that occurred in 1711. The remains of the Christian martyr San Zopito were being transported from the catacombs of San Callisto in Rome. As the procession passed the Collattuccio district of Loreto Aprutino a farmer, Carlo Parlione, did not pay due homage to the Saint and continued to work in the field. His ox however, got down on its knees and genuflected in front of the passing relics recognising the holiness of the Saint. Later when the procession arrived in the village a relative of the farmer suddenly recovered from an illness.

Since then the events have been re-enacted using a trained ox that passes through Loreto Aprutino genuflecting at key churches in its path. On its back is a child with a red carnation in its mouth, (a boy I believe although many references say it’s a girl) dressed in a gold-embroidered white dress, wearing a crown of flowers and holding a small umbrella. The child represents an angel and it is this angel that according to tradition makes the ox kneel down.

When does it happen?

It occurs on the weekend of Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday). But please note that the date of Pentecost changes each year as it is tied to the date of Easter. For example Pentecost was on 24 May in 2010 but I believe it is on 12 June in 2011.

The Sunday and the Monday are the main days to see the ox and the child. The relics of San Zopito are in procession through the town on Monday the actual feast day of San Zopito.

What happens in Loreto Aprutino as part of the festival?

Well since the 2008 festival was a bit different to the 2010 festival I suspect that what happens varies depending on budget but the 2010 festival included

• the procession of the ox and child through the town in the morning of Pentecost Sunday
• the procession of the ox, the child and the relics of San Zopito in the evening of Monday
• Various bands playing in Piazza Garibaldi on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights
• A cycling race for the San Zopito trophy on Sunday afternoon
• A wonderful fireworks display to close the festival on Monday night

Anything else?

2011 – 1711 = 300!!!

Worth noting 11, 12, 13 June Pentecost 2011 I think.

Post from: About Abruzzo

The Festa di San Zopito 2010 and How I Missed the Killer Shot!

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