The Hidden Medieval Villages of Abruzzo

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).

Afternoon: After checking in to the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation session. Orientation: 6:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Educational content will be provided by a local expert and our knowledgeable Group Leader. Program-related travel will be primarily via motorcoach — requiring ascending and descending a few steps — unless specified otherwise. Meals will feature local cuisine and will include wine, coffee, and water with other beverages available for purchase. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We’ll then enjoy a welcome drink together before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Walking in Sulmona on flat, easy terrain. Walking about 1.5 miles, approximately 1.5 hours during the day.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll be joined at the hotel by a local expert for a lecture on Pietro del Morrone, the hermit who became Pope Celestino V. From the hotel, we’ll set out to explore Sulmona on foot with our Group Leader. We will visit the 13th-century Saint Spirito al Morrone Abbey. For centuries, the abbey represented the most important and celebrated congregation of Celestini and the heart of civil, cultural, and religious life of a large territory.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We will continue to explore Sulmona on foot, visiting the historical center, birthplace of the Roman poet Ovid. Here we will see its Middle Ages palaces, churches of architectural and historical significance, and museums devoted to archeology, medieval and modern art, folk costume, and transhumance. During the walk, we’ll stop to taste the famous sugared almonds in one of the colorful shops of Sulmona, nicknamed “the sugared almond capital of the world.”

Dinner: At a local winery.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours total riding time, with stops for field trips. Walking about 1.5 miles, approximately 1.5 hours; flat terrain. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll board our motorcoach and ride to Scanno, nicknamed Photographer’s Village, due to the work of famous photographers and illustrators such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and others. We will stop at a characteristic local goldsmith and costume workshops. We’ll also have the opportunity to stop as a group to a pasticceria di masso, to taste this sweet typical of Scanno. We will then ride to a local farmhouse, located close to Introdacqua, a small medieval village in Valle Peligna. We will have the opportunity to talk to local people and learn about the Abruzzese way of life.

Lunch: At the farmhouse in Introdacqua.

Afternoon: Returning to Sulmona, we will enjoy some free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 75 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time with stops for field trips. Walking about 2 miles during the day, approximately 2 hours; easy terrain.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll board our motorcoach with our Group Leader and ride to the medieval Rocca Calascio village. We will enjoy an aperitif while a local expert presents an on-site lecture on the Rocca Calascio castle. Afterwards, we will visit the Santa Maria della Pietà, a little church built between the 16th and 17th centuries, on property once belonging to the Medici family. Its octagonal shape recalls the famous Saint John’s Baptistry in Florence. We will then ride to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, one of the most charming hamlets of Parco del Gran Sasso and rich in history due to its association with the Medici family. After a long period of near abandonment, it was redeveloped in the second half of the 20th century.

Lunch: At a restaurant in Santo Stefano di Sessanio.

Afternoon: We will board our motorcoach with a local expert for a field trip to Capestrano to discover the famous Warrior of Capestrano statue, a symbol of Abruzzo dating back to the 6th century BCE, now preserved at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale d'Abruzzo in Chieti. We will also visit the castle, overlooking the Tirino Valley. We will then return to the hotel.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 30 miles, under 1 hour riding time. Getting on/off a historic train; riding approximately 3.5 hours. Walking up to 1.5 miles throughout the day, approximately 1 hour; uneven surface.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll depart by motorcoach with our Group Leader to Sulmona train station to enjoy a train ride on the Trans-Siberiana D’Italia, the historic convoy running through the Abruzzo Region. We will get off the train at Castel di Sangro station.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Castel di Sangro.

Afternoon: We will return to Sulmona and set out on a walking field trip with our Group Leader to the historic sugar almonds factory Di Carlo, in operation since 1833 to learn the secrets of its production with an expert-led exploration and almond tasting. We will then return to the hotel.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 50 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours total riding time. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours; easy terrain.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll depart by motorcoach with our Group Leader to Pescocostanzo. We will visit the Santa Maria del Colle Basilica, which is home to a multitude of wooden furnishing, marble, precious canvases, and ancient iron works. Afterwards with our Group Leader, we’ll visit the Museo del Merletto, a museum that preserves the art of pillow lacework that has flourished in this region since ancient times. We will then ride on to Pacentro, one of the most fascinating villages of Conca Peligna, straddling between Morrone Mountain and Maiella Mountain.

Lunch: At a restaurant in Pacentro.

Afternoon: With a local expert, we will visit Pacentro, a village whose medieval architecture stands on an attractive natural setting, including its historic center, defensive walls, and palaces. We will visit the Museo della Pasta, home to pasta-making machinery from the early 1900s. We will then return to the hotel.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 140 miles throughout the day, approximately 2.5 hours total round trip. Walking about 1.5 miles throughout the day, approximately 1 hour; generally flat terrain.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board our motorcoach for a ride to the Trabocchi Coast. En route, we will stop in Casauria and visit Saint Clemente Abbey, defined by Gabriele D’Annunzio as “spettacolo di sovrana bellezza,” or all-powerful beauty. We will continue on a panoramic exploration of the coastal area of Abruzzo, characterized by trabocchi, traditional fishing equipment with an important role in the area’s fishing culture and past civilizations that have called this coast home.

Lunch: At the Trabocco restaurant, experiencing the sensation of being suspended between sky and sea.

Afternoon: Returning to Sulmona, we will enjoy some free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.

Dinner: On a terrace in a fine location in Sulmona overlooking one of the largest piazzas.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 121 miles throughout the day, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time. Walking about 1 mile throughout the day, approximately 1 hour; generally flat terrain.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: After checking out the hotel, we will board our private motorcoach and transfer to Rome Fiumicino, where we will check in at our hotel. We will stop en route at Anversa degli Abruzzi, a jewel of Sagittario Valley. We will set out with our Group Leader on a field trip to Bioagriturismo, a local and organic farmhouse, where we will take part in the daily agricultural experience in a scenic, pastoral setting. We will observe milk being processed into cheese, with the chance to feel the newly processed food. We’ll then move from touch to taste and sample some of the cheese and other products that the agriturismo has to offer. Then, we’ll take part in a cooking demonstration and learn how to make gnocchi.

Lunch: At the farmhouse in Anversa, we will enjoy the gnocchi.

Afternoon: We will complete our transfer to Rome and check in at our final hotel.

Dinner: At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m. See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers.

Breakfast: At the hotel depending on departure time. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!