Heart of wax, 2009: Adelchi Riccardo Mantovani
Tornareccio is the town in Abruzzo that everyone should make a beeline to who loves art, bees and honey. The town has been transformed into an open-air museum and a vibrant centre of contemporary art that pays homage to its status of capital of honey in the region with its outstanding sagra, ‘Regina di Miele’.
Their honey festa takes place annually at the end of September. At this, you can enjoy tasting sessions from the best honey across each of Abruzzo’s provinces (Abruzzo produces 15% of Italian honey), as well as bee-related products, meet passionate beekeepers and attend workshops for beekeeping tips and sit-in at cooking demonstrations.
Since 2006, each year between July-August ‘Un Mosaico per Tornareccio’ (a mosaic for Tornareccio) takes place. Paintings are displayed of submissions in this annual art competition, the jury will pick one which will be turned into a mosaic over the next year to be displayed in the town. The event was kickstarted by Alfredo Paglione who in memory of his Abruzzo roots donated 30 works of art to create the ‘Pallano Art Room’. Together he and the Associazione Amici del Mosaico (AMA) have created an irresistible mix of art and culture in this small town’s cobbled streets.
2007: Lucio Trojano
View each mosiac on the Un Mosaico per Tornareccio website
You can find Abruzzo’s honey capital Tornareccio in Chieti on Mount Pallano overlooking the Sangro Valley. Other festivals to look out for in the town are
- 3rd May 3rd: Feast of St Nicola
- 4th May, Feast of St. Emidio
- 15-16th July, Feast of Madonna del Carmine
- 29-30-31 August, Feasts of Perdono (Forgiveness)
Visit the Websites for Further Information
- Regina di Miele (the honey festival)
- Un Mosaico per Tornarecio
Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a very lucky midlife 'mamma' to A who is 12 and juggles her work as a self-employed freelance SEO food and travel copywriter and EFL teacher. She is the founder of the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, co-founder of Let's Blog Abruzzo. she is the founder of the 'English in the Woods' initiative, teaching English outdoors in a forest style school.
