Hiking in Abruzzo

            On the wet morning of September 14, a group of 25 students boarded a bus for Abruzzo, the mountainous and rustic region to the east of Rome.  After a dramatic drive they reached the town of Morino in the Roveto Valley and were welcomed by Professor Jim Schwarten, who has family ties to the area.  Morino is a small, modern village that was constructed after the old Morino was abandoned due to an earthquake in 1915.  The students checked into their hotel and embarked on a short but steep hike, up a ridge connecting two mountains, to Morino Vecchio, the remains of the old Morino.  The weather was wet but the rain kept to a drizzle, and the low lying clouds and mists added to the ambience of the crumbling 17^th century ghost town.  The students wandered around, through the abandoned buildings and olive groves, eating their sack lunches in reflective quiet. 

            At 3:00 pm the students boarded the bus and were transported to Civita D’Antino, the town that sits on the mountain top.  It was from this town that Professor Schwarten’s mother moved to England and then to Milwaukee, Wisconsin after World War II.  Professor Schwarten gave us a quick tour of the town which culminated at a park with views of the valley stretching over 20 miles towards Naples.  The sun came out and lit the valley as if to aid in their gazing. 

            At 5:00 pm the students were welcomed by Stefania and Roberto at the Osteria Zahrtmann for a wine and cheese tasting.  They enjoyed fresh sheep ricotta, an aged stracchino, and an award winning Abruzzese Pecorino that was so strong it was almost minty in flavor.  At 6:00 pm, three virtuosic musicians performed pre-World War II popular music in the town’s church: tangos, waltzes, Sicilian tantarellas and more.  Afterwards the students returned to Osteria Zahrtmann for a traditional Abruzzese dinner.

            On Saturday the students left the hotel early and embarked on a medium-difficulty hike up the mountain that towers over Civita D’Antino.  After nearly three hours they reached a 12th century hermitage carved out of the rock face—Madonna della Ritornata Hermitage.  They had lunch on its steps, explored its bare rooms and old frescoes, and played Neapolitan cards before heading back down to Civita D’Antino.      

            Saturday evening was an unforgettable night for the students, as Civita D’Antino had its annual festival: Inquadrando Paesaggi (“Framing Landscapes”).  It was a celebration of local history and culture; an exploration of beauty and community.  Art and food and people flooded the narrow streets; a large band of drums and brass paraded about, making everyone smile and dance.  It was a night that no tourist could ever replicate.

            On Sunday students returned to Civita D’Antino and walked to the Napoleonic cemetery below the town.  They then had free time to say goodbye to the lovely town before being sent off with a proper farewell: a traditional Italian Sunday lunch at Osteria Zahrtmann, complete with home-made lasagna and rich Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine.