When is a church not a church?

While you’re thinking about a suitable answer to that little puzzle I’m going to move on a little, but I promise I’ll come back very soon.

Recently two good friends of ours were married and held their wedding dinner in a restaurant in Loreto Aprutino. The restaurant they selected was Ristorante Convivio Girasole which specialises in local cuisine and traditional cooking.

It’s quite an intimate restaurant in the centro storico (old part of town) only a few steps away from the Chiesa San Pietro Apostolo (the church of Saint Peter the Apostle), il museo dell’olio (the oil museum) and il museo Acerbo (the Acerbo museum).

It’s so easy to find that if you just wander around the old town you are naturally brought to Largo Unita d’Italia where it’s located. It’s marked as 44 on the map below.

The report on the restaurant was good. The food and service was excellent and it was a perfect place to host the wedding dinner for a small group. The restaurant has a Facebook page which has regular updates with special menus for important feasts.

Now the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that I mentioned the Chiesa San Pietro Apostolo and since my riddle is about a church perhaps there’s a connection.

Zero points I’m afraid as the church I’m talking about is located in Largo Unita d’Italia, opposite Ristorante Convivio Girasole.

Sure enough if you look at the map the church I’m talking about clearly isn’t there.

Even deconsecrated churches are marked on maps so what could I possibly be talking about?

I’ll try to explain.

The first time I saw it I was taken aback. It wasn’t the bell tower, the ornate entrance or the baroque design that shocked me.

I was surprised by all the cars.

Entering the square your attention may be initially taken by the restaurant. You may see the back of San Pietro rising above it, a short climb away.

Then you see the form of the church, you see the bell tower, you notice you are looking at an inside wall and then you realise that the car park you are standing in was once where the congregation prayed!

La Chiesa di San Giuseppe (Church of St Joseph) was destroyed by a bomb in World War II. It doesn’t appear on the map because it doesn’t exist anymore. Yet there are plenty of people from Loreto Aprutino that use it as a landmark.

There are pa lot of towns in Italy that still show the scars of the Second World War. Open spaces that look as though buildings should be there. Houses that seem to abruptly end when it would be more natural for the space to be filled by another room or another home.

Recently I watched a BBC series Franceso’s Italy Top to Toe, originally transmitted in 2008 I think, and in it Francesco da Mosto pointed out similar scars in Milan. If the effect of the Second World War bombing raids are still clearly visible in a city as rich a Milan then I shouldn’t be surprised to see evidence of destruction in a small town in Abruzzo.

The series is fascinating but unfortunately it doesn’t include a visit to Abruzzo.

Let’s go back to the riddle.

When is a church not a church?

Well (in true game show tradition) the answers you have given are not necessarily wrong but the answer I was looking for is…

When it’s a car park!

Every time I walk through Largo Unita d’Italia I have a double take. I know I’m walking through a car park, but I also imagine a devout congregation praying for divine help through difficult times.

Could this be the only instance of the Google Street View cars driving through a church? See San Giuseppe on Google Street View and judge for yourself.

Post from: About Abruzzo

The Church That Isn’t There

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. A Landmark Church Just Outside Loreto Aprutino (PE) The town of Loreto Aprutino has no shortage of churches,...
2. Loreto Aprutino in Pictures I have visited and stayed in Loreto Aprutino a few...
3. A Pair of Passing Shots Out and about today I took this photo of Loreto...

There’s a regular bus service from Pescara and Chieti, so if you are without a car, or just don’t fancy driving, it’s a town that’s not too difficult to get to.

But we were there for another reason. Caramanico Terme is a great base for walks exploring the deep gorge of the Valle dell’Orfento. The starting point for the walk was the Riserva Naturale Valle dell’Orfento which is no more than 5 minutes outside the town. We gathered in the car park. When I say “we” there were a lot of us. About 15 I think. Six adults (I’m counting myself in that category) and about 10 kids. Some we knew already and some were friends of friends who in true Abruzzese tradition, soon became our friends.

The plan was to walk from the car park, gradually descending to the floor of the Orfento river valley, crossing the river by wooden foot bridge, and taking the other bank back through the gorge crossing a series of wooden bridges  and finally climbing back up to a modern concrete and metal bridge just outside the town. We were with at least two people who knew the route well and were familiar with the territory.

There were really only two little hitches on the journey. The first was meeting a large scout group, about 50 happy troupers, when we reached the valley floor. They were going the same way as us and that can be a problem as the paths are narrow and overtaking can be difficult. Our solution was to have our picnic a little earlier than planned and let them go on their merry way. We did meet them again, but it was beside a wide river bank and this time we got by with ease.

The other small problem was the finish – if you go down into the valley at some point you have to climb back up again. The descent was gradual at the start of the walk but the final ascent was steep and challenged the fittest among us. It’s mostly on wooden steps, but those steps seem to go on for a long, long time.

As usual I had my camera and took some photos on the journey. This is definitely one of those occasions where the camera doesn’t do the day justice. You can certainly get a feel for the walk, the changing light as we went down to the river bed, the river sometimes calm and sometimes gushing – but I can’t show you the smells that changed from those of a dry summer to a damp wood, I can’t show you the temperature changes as we moved from the summer sun into deep shadows and I can’t show you how good the clear cold rushing water tasted when we first reached the valley floor. All of these feelings have to be experienced, my photographs won’t help.

We stopped many times to watch butterflies with fabulous wing patterns, to examine wild flowers and to take a peek at the dens of small animals that live by the Orfento. You could do this walk for the exercise and the feeling of accomplishment that gives,  but taking your time and enjoying the surroundings is an opportunity not to be missed.

When we got back to Caramonica Terme we were completely out of water. The last climb was tough and since it took a lot of effort and the sun seemed to be getting warmer every minute, we went through all our supplies. (I know – we’re not dealing with the extremes of nature here but it did feel tough, honest.) My final photo is of a relatively ordinary street fountain in the town. I can’t tell you how delighted I was to see it. Waiting my turn to gulp down some of the most refreshing water I’d ever tasted was one of the hardest things I did that day.

Once I got my voice back I asked D, our guide, which is the proper way to spell Majella? I’d seen it many times written as Maiella and also Majella. I figured if anyone knew D did as she was from the area and seemed to know a lot about its history and culture. I tended to use Majella as that is how it appears on the official site of the Parco Nazionale della Majella, and she agreed that that was the correct spelling.

As if to show us adults up the younger members of our group then went off to play football! We decided not to go with T to the shop that sells the best prosciutto in the area and instead, sat down outside a café and had a very nice beer. I could have stayed there for the rest of the evening observing the comings and goings of Caramanico Terme, but it was time to head back to base.

One of the photographs from this trip appears in my Abruzzo 2011 Calendar in aid of the Italian Red Cross. Click here to preview the calendar, find out more and order your copy.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Walking Along the Orfento Valley in the Majella

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Five get a little lost in the Majella! After a really enjoyable visit to the abbey of San...
2. A Sanctuary in the Majella: Eramo di San Bartolomeo in Legio Before I talk about the subject of this post I...
3. Atri There are many reasons for visiting Atri in the Teramo...

Stage 12 was starting from Città Sant’Angelo Village at 12:05 and was going to make its way hugging the Adriatic until it reached Porto Recanati 206 km later.

Based on the Gazzetta Dello Sport timetable it was going to pass Pineto at around 12:45.

We wanted to make a day of it and take in the atmosphere of the Giro but also visit some new places. Regular readers of this blog will know that I’ve spent quite a few sunny days in Pineto so since it didn’t qualify a “new” we included Silvi Paese in the plan.

Silvi Paese shouldn’t be confused with Silvi Marina which is a lovely seaside town nearby. Silvi Paese is perched on a headland and has fantastic views of the Adriatic and the surrounding country.

We got to Pineto at about 10:30 and did what any normal red-blooded Italian would do on arrival – we had a coffee. Then we walked around the town and back to our car along the beach, passing the time pleasantly as we waited for the cyclists.

The Giro wasn’t going through Pineto itself but was passing by on the SS16 (Adriatica) so at 12:00 we based ourselves on the roundabout where you’d exit the SS16 to enter Pineto.

Apart from traffic police and a local photographer there weren’t that many people waiting in anticipation.

After a few minutes more spectators arrived. Mostly they came on foot but a few amateur cyclists arrived to see their heroes in action.

We waited…

There was a sudden flurry of activity and lead police cars and motorbikes whizzed through.

Then, out on his own, came the stage leader quickly followed by his team support car. I don’t know much about cycling tactics but with about 4 hours cycling ahead of him I suspected he wouldn’t be the ultimate winner of this stage.

We waited…

Two chasing cyclists sped by with their support cars.

We waited…

The peloton arrived and charged through the roundabout looking unconcerned by the minutes between them and the leaders. The remaining four hours worth of cycling was going to be less painful for a chasing pack then a lone lead cyclist.

After the trailing bunch went by and a convoy of team support cars, the Giro, as far as Pineto was concerned, was over.

I could say it was all over in a flash. I could say we waited for an hour to see less than a minutes actual cycling. But that would be unfair. In a country that can sometimes get bad press for its organisation abilities the Giro seemed to pass though Pineto without a hitch.

Yes there were a few motorists that were unhappy the roads were closed for a period before and after the Giro passed, but there were plenty of signs up saying when this was going to happen. There were also plenty of traffic police ensuring that the safety of the cyclists and that of the spectators was in hand.

I’m really glad I was there. Since I was based within easy driving distance of Pineto it would have been a shame not to see the Giro d’Italia as it passed. Next time I may try to park myself near the finish line or perhaps a stage starting line where I bet the atmosphere is more intense.

Feeling a bit hungry we walked back into Pineto hoping to find somewhere nice for lunch. Earlier it didn’t look like the seasonal restaurants on the beach were open yet so we went into the town centre.

On the way I took a few photos of some of Pineto’s impressive houses and also a town model of house miniatures.

After finding nowhere suitable to eat we asked a local and he gave us directions to a restaurant called La Braceria on the road to Atri, not far from Pineto.

It was really good. We shared ravioli with ricotta, rucolo and spec, and after that some agnello alla brace.

Back into the car we drove off to Silvi Paese. I was told by friends that Silvi Paese was a lovely little town with fantastic views of the Adriatic. They were right. As we approached the views from the road were getting more and more spectacular.

After parking the car we wanted around the new walls and stopped practically every 50 metres to take in the scenery. It’s well worth a visit. The town is very pretty and the relatively new fountain outside the church is a nice addition.

Well we’d had a damn fine lunch so there was nothing for it but to sit down and have some gelati taking in the views and watching the world go by.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Giro d’Italia Stage 12 and Silvi Paese

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Giro d’Italia Stage 17 Chieti to Blockhaus, Abruzzo Back in December 2008 I wrote a post indicating that...
2. I’m in Silvi (TE), So How Come I’m Thinking About Siena? There are certain foods I associate with different countries. I’m...
3. Giro d’Italia 2010 stages in Abruzzo I may be alone in this view but I think...

We were definitely the only tourists in Les Arcs. In fact most of its clients that day appeared to be construction workers having their well earned lunch. We went for the ravioli with ricotta and waited patiently. There were a few orders ahead of us, but when it arrived it was very tasty. For €6 each we were suitably fortified and ready to go exploring.

Spoltore is about 8 km from Pescara, located between the rivers Tavo and Pescara.

There are five important historical buildings there:

• The ruins of the castle in the highest part of the old centre
• The parish church of S. Panfilo, with a fine portal and stuccos by Alessandro Terzani, canvases by Giuseppangelo Ronzi and a 16th century statue of the Madonna col Bambino.
• The church of Madonna della Porta, with a wooden statue of the Virgin (10th century)
• The convent of San Francesco d’Assisi (15th century), with a brick facade and a fresco cycle telling the life of the saint
• The church of San Francesco d’Assisi, attached to the convent, mostly Baroque in style

Unfortunately all the churches were closed while I was there. But that was fine as what I really wanted to do was walk up to the highest point of the old town, beside the castle ruins, and take in the Majella (south), the Gran Sasso (west) and the Adriatic (east).

The pictures below give a flavour of what Spoltore has to offer.

When we reached the highest point we found an abandoned 5l bottle of wine. I could easily see friends relaxing and chatting, sipping a glass of wine, watching the sun go down. Then, when it gets dark, looking at the stars, constellation spotting or maybe turning their attention to the bright lights of Pescara.

Although it was a bit hazy, we stayed quite a while looking out at the wonderful views.

On the way back down we met Alberto, who was stripping the paint off some wooden shutters. We stopped, said hello, and he kindly allowed me to take his picture. Stripping the paint of wooden shutters looked to me like a long and painstaking task but Alberto seemed to be enjoying himself in the afternoon sun. We actually had a brief conversation about Dante Alighieri, Verdi and the relative merits of the English and Italian languages. I was well out of my depth! 

I’ll be visiting Spoltore again. I’ve three good reasons for doing so:

• see the inside of the churches that unfortunately were closed
• see the fantastic views on a day that isn’t so hazy
• pop in to Almond 22 and pick up a couple of bottles of really good beer

Post from: About Abruzzo

Spoltore (PE) Abruzzo: Saint Patrick’s Day (afternoon)

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Almond 22, Spoltore (PE) Abruzzo: Saint Patrick’s Day (morning) I knew it was in Spoltore. I’d seen it on...
2. Spoltore: Wonderful Views And A Microbrewery Too For quite a while now I’ve been looking forward to...
3. An Abruzzo Notebook – Perfect For All Your Thoughts and Inspirations. I have a little shop. I use it to sell...

Post from: About Abruzzo

Video Trailer: Seven Aspects Of Abruzzo (Le Sette Vie D’Abruzzo)

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. An Abruzzo Notebook – Perfect For All Your Thoughts and Inspirations. I have a little shop. I use it to sell...
2. Campo Imperatore Nothing quite prepares you for Campo Imperatore. It’s located in...
3. Who Needs Another Article About Capestrano (AQ), Abruzzo? Apart from all the official and quasi-official websites that talk...

Going to Atri is the obvious first step. But I’d been there at least three times and each time the cathedral was closed for restoration.

This time there were no signs of any work going on but the doors were appeared to be locked. After wandering around the building trying doors without success my wife encouraged me to ask someone.

This was a winning suggestion because it gave me an excuse to try my Italian. Asking about access to the cathedral is only part of the process. My wife knows that I’ll try to turn it into a conversation about what else we should visit, where we should eat and what are the local specialities.

So off I went brimming with enthusiasm to the nearest friendly shop. In my experience they’re all friendly. I picked one that sells ceramics and the woman there greeted me with excellent English! Ah well, I may not have had a chance to practice but she did tell me that the cathedral was open and the side door on the wall facing the shop was the way in.

It didn’t disappoint. It was built on the remains of an earlier Romanesque church. Outside you can see the impressive 56 metre high bell tower. But I’d seen that before. It was what was inside that excited me – the frescoes by the 15th century Abruzzese painter Andrea de Litio.

He is one of the region’s most important painters and the fresco cycle in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Atri is considered his masterpiece. (I understand that an example of his work can be found in the New York Metropolitan Museum.)

It wasn’t possible for me to get close enough to the frescoes to take detailed photographs as they were roped off, but I hope the examples I have in this post give you a feel for the scale of the work and the significance of the cathedral.

After searching a bit I found these detailed photographs of the frescoes that decorate the apse and the columns.

All the frescoes are attributed to Andrea de Litio and all the photographs were taken by Giovanni Lattanzi. If you are interested in Abruzzo and/or photography I recommend having a look at the photographs Giovanni Lattanzi has taken of the many other places worth visiting in the region.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Atri: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Andrea de Litio

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Atri There are many reasons for visiting Atri in the Teramo...
2. I Just Can’t Stay Away from Atri Every time I’ve visited Atri it’s been a wonderful experience....
3. A Little Bit Of Repetition: Scenes from a Magazine Revisited Whenever I’m in Abruzzo I look out for two magazines...

But if a plan can go wrong it will, and sure enough, somewhere along the way we took a wrong turn and ended up travelling through a wood that had been damaged by a fire. Although there were five of us, only one of our group had any idea where the stone huts were to be found. After driving for 20 minutes more, there was nothing for it but to head back the way we came.

This is where it gets a bit tricky for me. I wouldn’t swear these directions are 100% correct. If I’m right, we took the wrong road out of Lettomanoppello. So starting again from there, we headed towards Passo Lanciano, and took a right at Hotel La Maielletta. Then we just followed the road for a few kilometres and just before a turn to the right we saw the dry stone huts up on a hill.

I think the hill is called Colle Della Civita and is part of the community of Roccamorice. I’d like to show you its exact location on a map but I can’t find a map reference for Colle Della Civita anywhere on the web. There are plenty of descriptions of the stone structures though. They have a few names; capanne a tholos, tholi or pajare, and date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. They are built by placing flat stones on top of each other. There are definite similarities with the trulli of Puglia. It’s possible that the structure of the Abruzzo huts may have been influenced by the Puglia trulli as a result of regular migratory movements of shepherds and their flocks between the two regions.

This seasonal movement of people and flocks at the end of Spring and beginning of Autumn, called transhumance (transumanza), can cover hundreds of kilometers. The routes followed a regular network of wide grassy paths or sheep-tracks (tratturi). No 4×4 or SUV was available to these shepherds as they travelled by foot along the traditional mountain routes.

If you decide to visit Colle Della Civita take some time to look around. Abruzzo is steeped in history and the refuges are a monument to the hard life of shepherds of the past. But that doesn’t mean you can’t look around, breath in the fresh clean air, marvel at the beautiful wild flowers and watch the chaotic dance of colourful butterflies.

Through this entire journey our guide was the wonderful Monica, who does not believe in saying “we can’t do that”! Grazie Monica for helping us have another glorious day in Abruzzo.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Five get a little lost in the Majella!

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Walking Along the Orfento Valley in the Majella Caramanico Terme (PE) is in the Majella National Park about...
2. A Sanctuary in the Majella: Eramo di San Bartolomeo in Legio Before I talk about the subject of this post I...
3. Villa Gemma, Pasetti and that elusive red Ape I’ve been “off the air” for a little while as...

In the car were two Irish and three Swiss.  I think it was cosy in the back but I was in the front with a little extra leg room. It was a very cosmopolitan journey; we moved from speaking Italian, to English, to French, to German as we avoided the motorways winding our way to Serramonacesca and the abbey. We took a route, roughly as outlined here, passing Pianella, Cepegatti, Rosciano and Manoppello before reaching our destination.

I knew nothing about the abbey, but one of our group had been there before and said the floors were wonderful and the short walking trail around the grounds was stunning. I’m not big fan of church interiors so I was delighted that there was an interesting walk as part of the deal.

On entering the Abbey I had an instant feeling of being inside something very old indeed. Although it was restored during the period 1967-1971 the current building dates back to around 1000 AD and the mosaic floor dates from 1275. I was most impressed by the pockets of light as they crossed the interior and the feeling of stillness and calm. Unfortunately the light near the faded frescoes wasn’t great, so I don’t think my photograph does them justice.

Once outside we headed down a short, slippery trail that led past wild figs and cobwebs to wooden bridges and a pool with a series of small waterfalls. The canopy of growth allowed little light though, but that added to the atmosphere as we carefully made our way.

Coming out by the side of the abbey it was time to stop and have a picnic. The sandwiches were delicious, grazie Arnaldo! Then up to Le Chateau De Ma Mere, with a view down to where we’d been, for coffee, hot chocolate and cheesecake.

A good trip so far.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Five Go To San Liberatore!

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Five get a little lost in the Majella! After a really enjoyable visit to the abbey of San...
2. Loreto Aprutino in Pictures I have visited and stayed in Loreto Aprutino a few...
3. Penne The first time I heard of the town of Penne...

• The Santa Maria Assunta cathedral which dominates the town’s historic centre
• The frescoes contained inside the cathedral
• The erosion furrows surrounding the town
• The views of the Adriatic Sea, and the peaks of the Majella and Gran Sasso
• And if you’re up for it, the walk/cycle from Atri to Cittá Sant’Angelo

Atri is a fascinating, ancient town that historians believe gave its name to the Adriatic Sea. It sits on a hill between two valleys and is about 10km from the coast and 30km from Pescara. If you decide to visit, try to do so on a clear day, the views are spectacular.

Monday is market day, which has advantages and disadvantages. The obvious advantage is the town is hopping. People are in from the surrounding areas exploring the stalls, buying their weekly shopping and greeting friends and neighbours. But it is hard to find parking, and since it is a Monday, the restaurants are often closed.

If you are adventurous, there is a walking route from Atri to Cittá Sant’Angelo, described in the pamphlet “Abruzzo: The Guide To Its Unknown Wonders” which is available in tourist offices. Be warned though, one reviewer said that the maps and instructions in the pamphlet are not easy to decipher. Of course you could always drive there, about 15km, 30mins – less strenuous, but maybe not as much fun.

Finally, in two days time, from the 18th to 21st June there is the Atri Festival of Reportage, along with exhibitions running from 18th June to 18th August. A quote from the website says “The subject of reportage is discussed, studied and illustrated in all forms: from photography to radio and print media to video. An all round approach is adopted to focus on the reporter’s profession in an unusual and absorbing way by contrasting different international situations”.

The details of the exhibitions associated with the festival are available here. Regular readers of this blog will realise I have an interest in photography and I have to say I’m really looking forward to seeing the work on display.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Atri

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Atri: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Andrea de Litio I’d wanted to see the inside of the Cathedral of...
2. I Just Can’t Stay Away from Atri Every time I’ve visited Atri it’s been a wonderful experience....
3. Pineto: Sun, Sea and Sand We’re in the middle of summer and I’ve not written...

Most people are familiar with the Vespa; the scooter manufactured by Piaggio. Corradino D’Ascanio designed it and on hearing its engine, Enrico Piaggio named it, “Sembra una vespa!” (“It’s like a wasp!”), he said.

The 1953 movie Roman Holiday was a marketing dream for the Vespa with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn making good use of one around the streets of Rome.

Corradino D’Ascanio (1891 – 1981) was an aeronautical engineer who prior to designing the Vespa, designed the first production helicopter for Agusta, now AgustaWestland.

The Vespa is everywhere in Italy. But it’s another idea of Corradino D’Ascanio I really want to talk about. The Ape (pronounced Ah-pay), started off as a Vespa with two rear wheels and a load bearing platform. It is bigger and fatter than the Vespa, hence Ape (bee). They are even available in the UK.

They have torque suitable for carrying loads and going up hills, essential in the Italian countryside.  Their top speed is quite low, so they are often seen hugging the curb so other traffic can easily pass.

If the Vespa is the essence of Italian cool, then the Ape must surely be the essence of Italian pragmatism. Their small size makes them ideal for nipping around the narrow streets of Italian towns and villages. They can park practically anywhere.

I think they’re fantastic, but some are quite elusive. As you can see in this post I’ve taken some photos of the Ape in its natural habitat, but I haven’t taken pictures of all the versions available. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get a picture of the Ferrari red Ape, too quick for me I guess.

They’re really only designed for one person, but I’ve seen couples cosily driving around in them. The cabin space is quite limited, so I think if you see two people together in an Ape, they must be very close indeed. Still, as the saying goes, if you’re happy in your Ape clap your hands!

Post from: About Abruzzo

Helicopters, Wasps and Bees.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Pasquale Celommi, Artist Up until the beginning of May, I’ve had two posters...
2. Oil In Three Parts This is a post of three parts, all related by...
3. The Feast of San Zopito, Loreto Aprutino This is special. A genuflecting white ox dressed in colourful...