Celebrations, festivals, nature and fun

The Easter holidays have always been the ideal period to visit natural locations, parks, museums and the Abruzzo region, known as the green lung of Italy. It is the perfect place to discover the beauties of nature, besides its ancient customs and traditions.

There are many customs related to Easter throughout the small villages of Abruzzo ranging from the cuisine, to the celebrations and superstitions. We will mention but a few that you will be able to discover for yourselves near Sessanio.

The Dead Christ procession, in L’Aquila, celebrates Good Friday. The procession leaves the San Bernardino Basilica to the notes of the Miserere, and winds through the streets of the historical centre. The Dead Christ procession takes place in many villages in Abruzzo, and each one has the same allure and aura of mystery.

Magliano de’ Marsi has its own particular custom on Easter Monday, for example. After the procession with the statues of the parish church, everyone has lunch in the open together, amongst the nature of its surroundings.

What definitely rules the roost is the Gran Sasso National Park that displays all its beauty and magnificence in order to welcome the many tourists for this festivity. Various information points and lots of activities are set up and organised for all tastes and ages. The “Parco in Fiore” project is unmissable, for instance: botanic strolls, courses on the uses of plants, arts and crafts, yoga, weaving, tens of initiatives created in synergy with all the authorities of the Park to let everyone experience its nature at best.

These are just a few of the events that take place in this Spring weekend, the ideal period to discover the beauty of the villages in Abruzzo, the traditional wine and dine products, and some of the most beautiful views in Italy, while immersed in a welcoming and luxuriant nature.

We absolutely must make a small gastronomic digression here by mentioning at least two of the more particular Easter cakes: the ‘fiadoni’ and the ‘pupa e il cavallo’ (the girl and the horse). The fiadoni are ravioli stuffed with cheese or ricotta, while the pupa e il cavallo are marzipan cakes decorated with confetti and with a hard boiled egg in the middle, and are traditionally given to engaged couples: in fact the pupa represents the woman while the horse represents the man.

Making typical Easter cakes at the old bakery is part of our http://santostefano.sextantio.it/?p=2604: make your own pupe, cavalli and traditional cakes. Book now: http://bit.ly/easter-in-abruzzo