In the heart of Italy, Abruzzo is a well-guarded and often sadly-forgotten treasure. Here, with virtually no flatland in between, the most majestic peaks of the Apennines slope down to the Adriatic Sea in an intoxicating variety of vistas that alternate between peaks and beaches, national parks and medieval villages.

The Gran Sasso and the beaches of the Costa dei Trabocchi, south of Pescara, are worthy parallels to a historical, cultural and gastronomic identity that mixes stories of shepherds and fishermen. Geographically a region of Central Italy, Abruzzo is culturally and economically the most extreme offshoot of the South.