Religion as a colourful passion
But apart from the capacity to generate exceptional individuals, the Abruzzesi have always possessed a strong community spirit and always offered a spirited defence against the many foreign invaders scouring up and down the regionally splintered Italic nation following the fall of the Roman Empire in the 4th Century AD. They eventually came under control (for a time) of the Normans as part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and, subsequently, of the Spanish-Aragonese Kingdom of Naples.

It is around its regional capital, L’Aquila, that the Abruzzesi were united in defence of their world. The city was founded in the 13th century during the Norman period by federating 99 villages, and the historic event was commemorated by the creation of a fountain-wall with 99 spouts…

L’Aquila is a small city of only 70,000 inhabitants (just over half the population of Pescara and just above those of the two other provinces -Chieti and Teramo), but it features a number of impressive monuments, both civic and religious: the huge Spanish fortress, called Il Castello, houses the National Museum and the Art Gallery of Abruzzo. Strange but true, one of its most esoteric exhibit is the skeleton of a prehistoric mammoth discovered in the 1950s a few chilometres from the city.

Among the religious buildings, the main feature is represented by the 14th century basilica of Collemaggio, whose unique façade of pink and white marble is featured in all tourist and architectural publications. But greater importance is attributed to the 16th century basilica of San Bernardino where   the great Tuscan preacher from Siena is buried much to the chagrin of the jealous Senese citizens.

No one can doubt the sincere religious fervour of the Abruzzesi who defended their coulourful religious traditions against modernization.
Some of the most ancient and picturesque religious events are still celebrated nowadays. In the township of Cucullo, a chosen team parades the statue of the town’s patron saint (St Dominic), surrounded by images of writhing snakes clambering around his plaster figure to show he was immune from fear of them and from the effect of their poisonous bites; snake-catchers follow in the procession holding live serpents.

It could be pointed out that there is only one venomous snake with a lethal bite in Italy (and in Europe for that matter), the small viper; most others are quite innocuous.

The procession takes place in May when snakes awaken from their prolonged period of hibernation and repopulate dales, rocky nooks and crevices. This religious event may have been spawned by the need to reassure the population, and the shepherds, that they could safely go about their business under the protection of their patron saint…

Another typical religious event is the Easter race, which consists in running along the main street of the town while carrying a huge statue of the Virgin Mary…

Jesus’ own face
But the most titillating (if not spectacular) religious offering comes from the district of Maiella.

The provincial capital of Maiella is Pescara (123,000 inhabitants), a town by the seaside which was completely destroyed during World War Two and had to almost entirely reconstructed. Although Pescara represents the commercial, dynamic heart of Abruzzo, the province encompasses some of the most rugged terrain and various natural environments. The entire district is a spectacular natural park (three in point of fact) which occupy one third of the entire region of Abruzzo. They seem to cling to the Maiella whitish limestone massif which is often surrounded by low-lying clouds which give it an eerie and mysterious appearance.

Not surprisingly, many hermits chose the Maiella massif for their retreats from the sinful societies of their times after St Benedict brought to Europe the ideal of monasticism from the Middle East in the 5th Century. These hermits’ caves, overlooking the Maiella ravines, can still be visited nowadays.

And this brings us to the anticipated religious item, which is a unique saintly relic.
Among all the many hermitages, sanctuaries and abbeys in the area, and in spite of the great importance attributed to the abbey of San Clemente at Casauria, it’s the little church in the village of Manoppello to house the most significant of all Christian relics: a piece of cloth believed to have the imprinted image of Jesus Christ’s own face.

The small church itself is called ‘of the Holy Face’ and the traditional credence among the local population (that it is the genuine article) was enhanced when a Jesuit scholar from Germany, Father Heinz Pfeiffer, made the claim that the cloth was imprinted with Jesus’ effigy in the cave where he was entombed after his crucifixion by the same mysterious process that produced the shroud of Turin.

The disclaimer regarding the Shroud, which has apparently been dated to the 14th century, is believed not to necessarily apply to the cloth of the Holy Face which shows bruises on a rather lean face with a narrow beard and a peaceful expression.

Changing seasons and menus
When winter comes, the majestic slopes of Abruzzo lure a great number of lovers of winter sports to its venues; one of the favourites is Campo Imperatore which nestles at an altitude of over 2000 metres. Its facilities are open all year round, even in the summer season, but the actual winter season in the Maiella district extends for over six months of the year. In winter Campo Imperatore can only be reached by cable-car railway.

The seasons also affect the heartily tasty culinary fares of Abruzzo too: if lamb (young lamb) dominates most menus in all seasons, there is a veritable array of dishes whose taste one is unlikely to experience elsewhere: for starters, Fara San Martino produces one of Italy’s most famous pasta and one of the local pasta-dish in the Maiella district, called ‘pasta alla chitarra’ (‘a la guitar’) comestightly coiled on your plate. And there is a soup (by the peculiar name of ‘virtue’ (virtu` ) which combines seven different vegetables, seven different types of beans, seven different shapes of pasta and seven types of meat. As to the name, well, weren’t seven the virtues a good Christian should pursue? Come to think, the vices Christians had to try and avoid also numbered seven, didn’t they?

And talking of vices, among the various digestives offered as a counter to the vice of gluttony, there is one which must go with a warning: in spite of its apparent green label (Centerbe, A Hundred Herbs), their essences navigate in a liquid which is almost three quarters pure alcohol!

But you won’t be so surprised at the punch carried by that digestive after you hear about a particular banquet of ancient origin called La panarda.

The event gets under way around lunchtime and ambles into the evening on the strength of 30 to 40 courses made up of typical dishes from the different districts of the region. The are washed down by locally produced wines and liqueurs topped by a final glass of centerbe.

A point about the people: do the Abruzzesi mind tourist intrusion into their pristine world?

They are so hospitable that they prefer to consider them ‘visitors’ rather than ‘tourists’ and do their best to make them feel at home in accord with their most ancient tradition of hospitality.

P.B. ©

Previous Page | Home | The Land