If you're thinking of finding out more about Abruzzo before you come and stay with us, here are some books, maps, and novels set in the area.
A retired English couple spend a year in a tiny village north of Pescara. So far so yawn. The difference with this one is that you learn almost nothing about the authors - each chapter is a story about one of the people from the village, or an incident in the life of the village. Quite funny in parts - if you like Jerome K. Jerome you may like this.
Out of print, but you can often find second-hand copies on abebooks.
The small town of Castel di Sangro is in the mountains in the south of Abruzzo. In 1996 their football team made it through to the national second division, and miraculously managed to stay there. American journalist and football fan Joe McGinniss decided to go and live in Castel di Sangro for a year to follow the team. He walked into a year of unexpected deaths, cocaine smuggling, corruption, friendship, despair and exhilaration. A football book with a sad ending.
The publisher says: "A Kiss From Maddalena is a tender and compassionate coming-of-age story about family duty and love in a time and place when world events and modern ideas seemed distant and incomprehensible, even as the enemy bombed houses, tanks rumbled through the village and young sons—often uncertain why they were fighting in the first place—rarely came home. Alternately lighthearted, romantic and devastating, it is a realistic and bittersweet account of the passions of youth and the innocence of a simpler, bygone era."
Set in 1943 on both sides of the Apennines - part in Santa Cecilia on the Western slopes, part in the countryside near Teramo.
The publisher says: "A charming, tender and vivid memoir of an Italian boyhood in a small village in post-war Italy, high in the remote Abruzzo mountains. A nostalgic, delightful read. With money short after the Second World War, at the age of just four Mario was sent to live with his uncle, a travelling priest. And so began a life of unusual freedom and wondrous adventures, roaming mountains and hilltop villages at a time when soccer balls were made from paper and wheat was cut by hand."
The publisher says: "The author and his wife became the first outsiders to live for a year as part of this small Italian community. They became embroiled in the politics of village life, learning about modern Italy, the relationships with Church and State, emigration effects, and how an old way of life is under constant threat from encroaching towns."
Set in a village near Teramo. An antidote to all the books about idyllic country life.
The publisher says: "The distinctive cuisine of Abruzzo, passed down through generations, is unveiled in this landmark cookbook... Author and teacher Anna Teresa Callen grew up in Abruzzo and understands its regional specialties... The book features more than 350 recipes such as Cardoon Soup from Anna Teresa’s grandmother, the savory pie Fiadone Villese traditionally served at Easter, and the dessert La Cicerchiata from Italy’s Jewish heritage. Callen’s experience as a cooking teacher means the recipes are expertly written to ensure the best results every time. Framing the tempting recipes are the author’s recollections of her bucolic girlhood–fishing with her father in the Adriatic, hunting for mushrooms in the forests, and rolling out pasta by hand with her mother–immersing you in the patterns of daily life in Abruzzo."
Set in Guardiagrele
A translation of three of the best known novels by Ignazio Silone, the most famous writer from Abruzzo. Set in the 1930s, they describe the hardships and struggles of the farm workers of the Marsica region, where Silone grew up; the first book, Fontamara, is the best novel about the beginnings of fascism in any language. Ignazio Silone was one of the early leaders of the communist party but later became a socialist and a christian; the books reflect this evolution. Silone is currently in the news again as the far right is claiming that he was also a police spy throughout his political career - some now claim you can spot it in the books.
The publisher says: "Art Zavarella takes the reader on a historical journey through his early life in Central Italy until he left his homeland for America... He loves the valley where he was born, surrounded by beautiful mountains. The farm of his grandfather on the foothill of Monte San Cosimo and the picturesque mountain villages perched upon rocks. He describes well the beautiful cities and other places he had visited, depicting vividly their natural beauties, as well as their historical importance. He recalls his school years with great emotion, while striving to learn Latin, history, and other subjects; not to mention the hardship caused by a war that brought so much destruction to the land he loved."
Amazon says: " Ann's journey to learn about her Italian heritage evolved into loving Italy with its wondrous food, medieval stone villages built into the sides of mountains, the colorful confetti shops in Sulmona, the tartufo festival in Succiano, the town celebration of Feragosto, and the festas in Goriano Valli... recipes for chinghiale, zucchini flower fritters, carbonara, chicken cacciatore, milk of almond from the times of Michelangelo, polenta on the board and many others are included in this book."
The publisher says: "When Italy made peace in the summer of '43, 50,000 Allied POWs, Eric Newby among them, walked away from their prison camps. But Italy was occupied by the Germans, and the camps were behind those lines. Newby went to the mountains where, with the help of locals, he evaded the retreating enemy. Italian peasants sheltered him for more than three months. In this classic memoir of WW II, Newby recalls these selfless people. . .their unchanging lifestyle, the funny, bizarre and dangerous incidents, his hopes of the local girl who later became his wife."
Written by one of the best travel writers ever (even Ignazio Silone was impressed by this book). Set further north in the mountains than Abruzzo, but the life described is very similar.
A mixed collection of short stories about the Abruzzo region translated from Italian. Contains "some stunning pieces such as Anna Maria D’Alessandro’s Far Away To Learn and Maria Teresa Falconi’s Waiting, an account of single women’s lives, as well as stories that read as documents of social change, like the biographical The Embrace with its picture of the recent history of the coastal region."
Clear and up-to-date map; shows more of the smaller roads than some.