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Santo Stefano di Sessanio is in the province of L'Aquila in
the region Abruzzo at 1250 m. above sea level. We are in the heart of the National
Park of Abruzzi and Monti della Laga.
Getting there is quite simple. The village is half an hour away
driving from L’Aquila and about one hour
from Pescara and Rome.
It is part of the club of the " Most Beautiful Villages
of Italy " but, in actual fact, someone called it one of the most
beautiful villages on Earth.
As soon as you get in Santo Stefano di Sessanio you come across a so suggestive environment to make you forget present time. In Santo Stefano di Sessanio
time has simply frozen. Everything is there today as in times past.
The first historical records of the tiny village are dated
back to 760 but it is at the end of 15th centuries that in the village begins a strong pastoralism and transhumance development (
seasonal migration of herds). Santo Stefano di Sessanio was at its greatest
splendor during the Medici family domination.
The village became the carfagna wool trade headquarter for
the Florence Lords since this wool was produced at Santo Stefano di Sessanio,
then worked in Florence and sold throughout Europe.
The noble Florentine family bequeathed to the village the
beautiful limostone’s Medicean Tower that remained for centuries the symbol
of the village and a city pride.
The Medicean Tower, now unfortunately partially destroyed by
the earthquake of 2009, remains the core of the village. It is the starting
point of the rows of houses, and narrow paths that develop along concentric
circles. It is a succession of centuries
old houses with their arcades, small windows and doors finely restored.
After the Medici Family domination we get to the Unification
of Italy which marks, unfortunately, the beginning of the decline of the wool
market, the end of the pastoralism and transhumance activity and the
beginning of the depopulation of the
village due to the phenomenon of emigration. It is probably because of this
phenomenon that today we can enjoy a village that can be defined a true masterpiece.
In the early seventies the owners of the houses begun to restore the buildings trying to
preserve as much as possible the original architecture. Everything is still in
limestone, not only the exterior of the houses but sometimes even the
interior.
Walking through the village everything evokes the past, the
strength of the stone tells us stories of ancient pastors, cold, snow and
transhumance. You can see the small doors and windows of the houses, so built to
protect the house from the cold. Those
building that once were stables, instead, have large doors to facilitate the entrance
of the sheeps. Even the local artisanship is perfectly preserved and kept the same as in
the past. The village is full of small groceries
where you can also taste the typical local food and wine.
One of the most famous traditional food is the lentils of
Santo Stefano di Sessanio still produced using traditional methods. No coincidence that
one of the typical dishes of the village is the lentil soup served with croutons and
a drizzle of olive oil. Absolutely not to be missed.
There are many tourist activities to which you can
participate: Guided tours, Hikking and Trekking, Mountain Biking, Horse riding, food and wine tasting tours, cross country skiing, snow rackets trekking.
Nearby the village there are several equipped panoramic
areas where you can enjoy stunning sceneries, a succession of mountains and
fields that will give you moments of great serenity and relax.
It's the right destination for the tourist who is looking
for the real Italy. It is suitable for a
responsible and environment friendly
tourism. It is a place of inspiration and silence where it is natural to speak
softly not to break the magic.
However, walking through the narrow streets, you feel the strong
ferment of new life and creativity coming from the children of those ancient emigrants
who returned to the old country and today enchant the visitors with their discreet
but strong love for this harsh and so beautiful land. That's why walking the
streets of Santo Stefano di Sessanio today you can hear those whispers in
English, German, French or Russian overlapping those
in Italian mixed to the local dialect.
You cannot say that you have seen and know Italy without having
been here.