Ferie in Italia

Ferragosto

August is the traditional month for Italians to go on vacation, leaving the cities and towns in droves for beach and mountain destinations. The vacation season peaks in the middle of the month on the 15th with Ferragosto, the major summer holiday for Italy. This day is based on an ancient Roman festival and the Catholic holiday Assunzione S. Vergine, or the ascent of Mary. Many businesses of all types will close around this date, some for as long as three weeks.

You will spot businesses with signs on their doors “Chuiso per ferie” with various start and ending dates. You may also encounter reduced hours for businesses and government offices.

Many of the towns and cities in Italy seem like ghost towns as the locals head to the beach or the mountains for cooler weather. This can mean that you will find minimal services available in some areas and large crowds with the available services along the beach and in the mountains. The weekends around Ferragosto will also mean heavy traffic and congestion on the motorways.

There are, however plenty of events taking place in Italy during this period from sagre to concerts and most of these are free.

Arcevia, Le Marche

Arcevia and her castles (5817 Inhabitants, 535 Meter altitude)

Arcevia has a charming location on the top of a hill with panoramic views of the valleys around her. Previously known as Roccacontrada, this town dates back to the 8^th century and has a surprisingly rich collection of artwork as it had been a favorite destination for noble families and their collections. The painter Ercole Ramazzani was born here in 1500 and in the same era Luca Signorelli worked in the city.

You can still see the medieval walls and walk through the fortified gates of which S. Agostino and S. Pietro are particularly impressive. The town's old fortress used to stand on Monte Cischiano's highest point which is now the relaxing G. Leopardi Gardens.

Wandering the streets you will find several noble palazzi and churches and in Piazza Garibaldi the civic buildings and tower. Chiesa San Medardo is worth a visit for her collection of artwork, specifically those by Luca Signorelli. Nearby is the church and cloister complex of San Francesco where you will also find the biblioteca with another interesting collection of artwork.

Arcevia makes a good location for visiting the northern portions of central Le Marche and the impressive Grotte di Frasassi. There are several small but charming castelli in the area that were once subject to Arcevia and are worth a visit. Via SS76 you have access to Ancona and the coastal A14 autostrada to the east and Umbria to the west. The town itself is fully sustaining with all that you need for daily life.

For additional information

Beach season

Coastal towns

Summer has arrived in Italy and Italians and foreigners alike have begun the annual migration to the seaside. The Adriatic coast in Marche and Abruzzo is varied from wide sandy beaches to narrow rocky beaches tucked below cliffs. This area also boasts some of the most popular beaches for Italians with the Bandiere Blu designation. Bandiere Blu is given to those beaches that meet certain requirements for not only the beach and water quality but also the services that are provided by local vendors.

In this area of Italy the beach vendors are called chalets and will vary in services from simple umbrellas and chairs to this plus full service restaurants. Being on the coast the food specialty will of course be seafood. You can rent lounge chairs, umbrellas and changing rooms which will cost you from 80€ to 160€ per week for the summer months. Be aware that beachside services can become non-existent during the off-season.

There are public beaches spaced between the chalets but these are usually an unkept location and on a first come, first serve basis. With the summer sun bearing down on you after a few hours the services provided by the chalets can be well worth the price.

Many people have a view of the seaside as a beautiful place with wide sandy beaches leading to rolling hills covered with vineyards. The geography and history of this portion of the Adriatic coast has dictated that this view is interrupted by railway lines and the autostrada. In many seaside towns you will cross under the rail lines to get to the beach. During weekends and the Italian August vacation the more popular beaches can be very crowded. Many of the beach towns are post war developments which lack much of the charm people envision of Italy.

There are however, many locations I easy driving distance to the sea where you can enjoy the best of all that this part of Italy has to offer.

Sagra season

si manga bene, si paga poco

One of the great things about life in Italy is the food and wine and during the summer months you have the opportunity to enjoy these with the locals. La sagra is a unique Italian festival that combines music, games and of course food. Many times they are in conjunction with a religious feast but they may simply focus on a type of food. In some areas there are so many sagre that you can attend a different one every Saturday and Sunday during the summer.

There is no charge to attend one of these festa but to eat you will need some euro, though the prices are remarkably low. The food is always fresh even though it is made in mass quantities, and there is always an offering of local wine. You will find the cassa where you place your order and pay then you head over to the food stand to get your meal. Since the food is cooked to order you may have a short wait of five or ten minutes. Two can usually get a small feast for less than 20 euros.

There is always a sitting area where you eat communal style, sharing tables with others and the local kids come around and clean-up the tables. It is not uncommon to share a bottle of wine you purchase with those nearby. Food and wine always brings out the generosity in Italians.

There will be a band and an area cleared for dancing but this usually doesn’t start until later in the evening. Many sagre will also have a contest or raffle for prizes, which will always include food.

Keep an eye open as you are driving the lanes of Le Marche and Abruzzo for the bright posters advertising sagre, many of these are not listed with the tourist offices.

Pacentro, Abruzzo

Pacentro (690 meters, 1405 inhabitants)
Chieti Provincia

Pacentro is situated on the boundary of the Parco Nazionale Della Maiella at the base of a mountainside and is about 280 meters above the city of Sulmona and the Gizio River valley. The town runs east to west along a ridge with sweeping views of the mountains and valley below. The well preserved medieval section of town is located closer to the mountain and the streets are very narrow but walking through them you will be rewarded with quaint homes, shops and eventually you will arrive below the towering fortress ruins.

You will find a full array of stores to meet day to day needs including several bars, restaurants, groceries, a post office, bakery, tabaccheria, newspaper stand, and other assorted shops. Major/larger stores are located in nearby Sulmona. The people you encounter are friendly and welcoming.

There is easily access by paved road from Autostrada A25 and about 50 minutes from the Autostrada A14 at Pescara to the east and about 2 hours from Rome to the west via the A25/A24 connection. Pacentro is about 15 minutes from Sulmona. There is train service from Sulmona to other parts of Italy.

Jesi, Le Marche

Jesi (40,000 Inhabitants, 97 meter altitude)

Jesi is a popular destination for those who want to experience some of the art and wine that this central portion of Le Marche has to offer. The centro storico stretches along a ridge above the Esino River and you can spot its brick colored walls and towers as you approach from all directions. The rolling hills surrounding the city have many interesting towns to visit.

The mighty Frederick II was born here, on public display in the main piazza that now bears his name. The architectural stamp of his reign is evident throughout the southern portion of Italy. The streets bustle at night with people enjoying the shopping districts filled with a full assortment of shops, eateries and bars. There are several museums of note to visit as well as a regional enoteca to sample the famous Jesi Verdicchio.

This city is large enough to supply all that you might be searching for and is on main traffic connections to the autostrada A14 along the Adriatic Coast. Jesi has become increasingly popular as it is only minutes from the airport at Falconara with flights to destinations in Italy and other parts of Europe. To the west you have connections along the S76 to the Frasassi caves and further along to Umbria.

Useful link: Le Marche/Jesi

Improved link Comunanza/Roccafluvione

SP237 access

This spring they opened a new road section between Ascoli Piceno and Comunanza along the SS78, designated the SP237, providing easier access between these two areas. This is especially helpful for those who want to get to the Amandola and Sarnano areas in the western portion of the Ascoli Piceno Provincia.

Previously the SS78 between Roccafluvione and Comunanza was a road with a lot of sharp turns going up, over and then down the other side of a high ridge. Many people avoided this drive since their passengers were frequently feeling a little motion sickness by the time they arrived at their destination. With this new road section, including a tunnel at each end, the majority of the treacherous road has been eliminated. The time to go from the Via Salaria to the Aso Valley has also been shortened to less than twenty minutes.

Now those in the Golden Triangle area have other travel options that can include Roma in addition to Ancona and Pescara.