Join the Life In Abruzzo team and community for an unforgettable end-of-summer 2-centre celebration in and around Atri.  It promises to be a day of exploration, relaxation, and learning a little more about the beautiful city of Atri and its surrounding countryside and Calanchi.  Atri is famous for being the birthplace of Emperor Hadrian when it was known as Hadria, but it was earlier inhabited by the  Picenes Italic tribe.

Urban Ramble with Coffee and Cake

We kick off the morning with a  captivating urban ramble, starting promptly outside the acclaimed 13th-century cathedral, the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta at 10.30 to admire its incredible medieval frescoes.  This is followed by coffee and cake from 11.00 till 11.30 and then a final tour of the most interesting sights and places to visit in the city.

The tour is provided by the American graphic designer Rose Morgan who has lived in Atri for 17 years.  She began life here opening a mushroom farm but now lives in the centre, where she raises her daughters, immersed in the local community.  She will take you through the enchanting streets of the historic centre exploring its history and culture, pointing out those fascinating little crooks and crannies that only a local can know!

Aperitivo at the WWF Reserve

Next, we venture to the breathtaking and accessible WWF Porcupine and Calanchi Reserve, a 10-minute drive from the centre of the city.

Here we will join Abruzzo Directory member, Fattoria Gioia and Azienda Agricola Recchiuti Massimo.  Together they will serve a delectable aperitivo available only to those who pre-book using the form below!  The cost is €10 per person payable on the day.

For those eager to have more, a second-half plate can be ordered on the day with one glass of wine for €6.

Each Fattoria Gioia’s goat cheese is made from raw milk from their flock of 60 Camosciate goats.  This allows you to smell the scents of the herbs they have grazed on in the Valviano hills and provides a more digestible and nutritious milk.  For 25 years, Maurizio (farmer and Tai Chi instructor) and María José (former Spanish Wwoofer and simultaneous interpreter) have raised their goats and 40 families of bees on the hills of Valviano (Cellino Attanasio).   They chose the Teramo hinterland for its biodiversity given that they rigorously practice agroecology. They follow and respect the rhythms of nature particularly those of their goats and their milk cycles that run from April to November.  Maria José delivers directly to local restaurants and residents across the provinces of Teramo, Pescara and L’Aquila. Their products range from the very soft fresh ricotta without added milk to their unforgettable “hot goat cheese”, the tomino or the soft brie. Upon request, they prepare aperitifs for groups like ours, together with other local producers who do not use chemical products in any phase of the processing.

The cheeses will be paired with 2018 vintage of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Vino Cotto from Azienda Agricola Recchiuti Massimo.  They specialise in creating quality, not quantity organic wines that have enjoyed a long, slow spontaneous fermentation with only the use of “indigenous” yeasts that bring out the full character of these wines and are perfect alongside Maria and Maurizio’s cheeses.

Example Menu

(The final will be published on Thursday to reflect this week’s harvest from the Kitchen Garden)

• Crostino di pane di grano Solina con pomodoro al basilica, (Solina  wheat crostino with tomato and basil)
• Tris di baci di capra, (Three goat kisses)
• Insalatina di farro con verdure dell’orto e agrodolce di zucca (Farro salad with fresh kitchen garden vegetables and squash agrodolce)
• Crostino di ricotta e salsa ai fiori d’aglio (Ricotta crostino with garlic flower salsa)
• Crostino di ricotta e salsa zucchine e noci (Ricotta crostino with courgette salsa)
• Canestrato incerato  (Canestrato Cheese)
• Rotolino affinato – (Assorted flavoured goats cheese logs)
• Crostino di caprino hot (‘Hot’ Goat Cheese Crostino)
• Ricotta al miele di Valviano, (Ricotta drizzled with Valviano Honey)
• Fico appena raccolto, (Freshly picked figs)
• Vino rosso con uve Montepulciano e vino cotto annata 2018 (Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine and Vino Cotto 2018 Vintage)

Picnic Time

The group will be invited to roll out their blankets and enjoy the picnic that they have bought from home whilst drinking in the fantastic views! Bask in the beauty of nature while connecting with like-minded individuals who share a passion for adventure and conservation.  Picnic tables and a shaded area are available for all those who don’t like sitting on the grass!  We invite members to bring along their favourite cookies to share and be brave and sample a refreshing local liquorice refreshment!

WWF Talk

Prepare to be captivated by a fascinating talk from a volunteer of the WWF team, who will share their insights on the enigmatic world of porcupines and the unique Atri landscapes famed for the Calanchi.  This will be in Italian but translated!

Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the end of summer with us in Atri.  Timings allow for guests to join the parade for Atri’s Sagra dell’uva (Grape Festival) which is happening at 16.00 and for further wine tastings in the main piazza.

Cost

To keep costs low and affordable,  each guest’s only costs will be for the aperitivo, a donation to the WWF Reserve, and a coffee and cake if you choose to have these in Atri on the Coffee and Cake Urban Ramble.  The Abruzzo Directory keeps our operating costs to members  for these events as €0.

Pre-booking is Essential to Join Any of the Day’s Events Sign UP with this Form!
Booking deadline, Thursday 14th September!  PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT, IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO BOOK!