Italy - Pacentro

Saturday 21^st May 2011

Flying to Rome

Across the mountains

Rome was hot as we waited for our bus, east to Sulmona then Pacentro in Arbruzzo.

Bus from Rome

Autostrada tunnel

Summer snow

First glimpse of Pacentro

Osteria Maggiore on the Piazza

We celebrated our arrival with a delicious dinner. As you can see, 9 pm was too early for the locals, but the dining room was full by 9.45pm.

























From the soft villages of England to the strong light and marble streets of Pacentro was a shock. We were welcomed by Maddy from Birmingham, who sold up and moved to Pacentro four years ago. She speaks Italian and enjoys her life. We followed her up and up.

Up the marble steps

Up and up

To Maddy's door

Just below the 11th century castle walls

Where the women washed their clothes in the stream for hundreds of years

Her little house just below the castle, is very comfortable. I can see how this incredible Medieval village captivates her.

Maddy's kitchen

Maddy's living room

The view from Maddy's balcony

Settling In

Pacentro has the friendliest people and the most stunning mountain views, being on a tiny plateau saddle on the steep slopes of the Apennines east of Rome.

Pacentro

Our Piazza

With its church

and Ben coming home with the shopping......

to the awaiting cats.....

and a welcome reminder of our life in Italy.....

and its New Zealand roots.

Ben painting poppies

We were delighted to spend three weeks in Kiwi Casa, owned by a NZ friend of Ben’s. It was large and bright, inspiring Ben to paint the poppies in the valley below.

Poppies in the valley

Our small kitchen would provide a challenge in preparing a banquet.

Kitchen

 The interior of the flat is large and very cool with each room having a small balcony and double doors with shutters.

One of three bedrooms

View from the bedroom

View from the living room

Sunset on the Appenines

Farm in the valley

Cool

Long curved corridor

Mirror and image

Walking Around

We spent a good deal of time exploring the village, with its hidden delights and wonders of ancient architecture.

Little church

Near here Mary and Alec from Oxford have a small house with a big garden. They paid 15,000 British pounds for the lot and share it with friends. They can see the snow on the distant mountain and the whole valley from there.

Mary and Alec's Terrace and garden

Horse fresco and ancient arch

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Deserted house

Many of the houses in Pacentro have passed into the hands of young relatives now living in Rome who are not interested in restoring antiquity. They stand abandoned and deteriorating.

Mary and Alec were lucky to buy one of these, and so was Richard from Boston. He works on his house with the help of Pietro, a local builder.

Pietro, Richard and Ben discuss retoration techniques

New ceiling and stairs

Via San Marco, the main street of Pacentro, shops below and flats above

Ben looking forward to siesta

The Villa is a small park just off the Via San Marco. It has a view over the Sulmona Valley and is a good placeto have a beer after siesta. Siesta is from 1pm to 5pm every day and NOTHING happens during siesta.

Some shops were worth looking at even though they were closed.

An up-market furniture shop just off the Piazza

Rose door

Houses below the castle wall

These houses are about 900 years old.

Ben thinks “It is hard to imagine how such areas have remained so unchanged.”