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Situated next to Lazio, Abruzzo is arguably the last remaining wilderness in Italy.
Abruzzo is undoubtedly the wildest region in Italy: bears and chamois, rock walls and forests, hilly landscapes and magnificent sandy beaches. Between the high peaks of Gran-Sasso, Majella and Velino and the coast, Abruzzo offers a varied setting that is appreciable all year round.
With its intact natural landscapes, medieval villages, scenic resorts and unmatched gastronomy, this Italian region is on the verge of an international tourist boom. Whether you are an explorer, a history buff or an extreme sports fan, you will find something to satisfy all your desires in Abruzzo.
As a region noted for its mountainous geography and dramatic elevation changes, wine production in Abruzzo, with a little help from the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape, a DOC controlled variety, has emerged as a truly defining area for viniculture.
Acting as the fourth largest wine producer in Italy, Abruzzo has managed to establish itself as a significant tour de force within one of the country’s largest industries.
With a long history of sheepherding, Abruzzo has incorporated elements of its rural economy into one its more iconic dishes, arrosticini. A skewer filled with lamb and then cooked over a brazier. The dish has become synonymous with the areas past reliance on livestock herding and is often accompanied by bread soaked in olive oil and ample amounts of Montepulciano wine.
Agnello cacio e ovo, another dish based around the mutton found in the region, gives a more traditional approach to the rural cuisine. Often had during Easter, the dish incorporates eggs and lamb, a religiously symbolic union of ingredients in the hopes that it would keep the devil away.
Home to some of the most rugged scenery in the country, it has come to resemble a vacant apartment above a loud party. The noise and crowds of Rome give way to ancient towns and jagged mountain tops, reminiscent of a bygone era devoid of selfie sticks and tourist buses. The region’s lesser known status provides one of the last remaining opportunities for those wishing to explore an Italy still untouched by tourists. Nowhere is this more emblematic than the Abruzzo National Park, spanning three regions and only 2 hours from Rome, it showcases Italy’s determined attempt at maintaining the wilderness that has come to define the region.
With Abruzzo catering primarily to the more outdoor centric facet of Italian travel, it would be easy to forget about its multitude of mountain villages dotting the province. Castel del Monte and Civitella del Tronto, noted as being some of the most beautiful in Italy, provide the necessary excuse for some much-needed cultural indulgence.
Pescara, situated along the Adriatic coast, with over 10 kilometers of sandy beaches allows for a more quintessential beach holiday while also providing a vibrant night life. The region’s capital L’Aquila provides a cultural diversion for those looking for a day trip while visiting the surrounding area.
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When was the last time you had dinner in an Italian restaurant in Canada and you thought you were dining in Italy? That’s exactly how “Ospitalità Italiana Certified”restaurants want you to feel when you visit their fine dining establishments.
Ospitalità Italiana is an official certification from Unioncamere, Italy’s federation of local Chambers of Commerce and Industry, that tells you that the food you are enjoying is unquestionably Italian: products are authentic, ingredients genuine and recipes true to the thousand year history of Italian cuisine.
Canada is home to some leading Italian Chefs. Passionate and innovative, many have refined their skills and advanced their knowledge directly in Italy. In addition, Montréal boasts a fabulous cooking school ITHQ where young aspiring chefs learn Italian technic and Italian traditional recipes from the masters.
So the next time you make reservations for an Italian dinner in a Montreal restaurant, ask if they’ve received the Ospitalità Italiana seal of approval. You will enjoy the true Italian taste.