The Magic of Abruzzo Blog
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"We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us." Anonymous
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 Below you’ll find answers to the questions that we are asked most often.
This FAQ series will be the primary way we can help people visiting our site to get the information they need. Question: Which airport is closest to you? Answer: There are a couple of options. ABRUZZO REGIONAL (PSR) AIRPORT If you are arriving from another European airport using Ryan Airlines you can fly into the Abruzzo Regional Airport in Pescara. This airport has very few flights at the moment but is planning major renovations to add lots more flights and many more airlines. The renovations should be finished by 2022. This airport though is only 30 minutes from our house. You can take the train or the bus from Pescara Central Station. There are several shuttle buses going from the airport to the train/bus station. ROME LEONARDO DAVINCI FIUMICINO (FCO) AIRPORT Fiumicino is the main international airport in Rome used by the major airlines for intercontinental as well as national and European flights. If you are arriving from the U.S.A. then you will arrive in the Fiumicino airport in Rome. There is a direct bus from Fiumicino airport to the Sulmona/Pratola25 stop. It leaves from arrivals at Door 5. It takes about two hours. CIAMPINO AIRPORT Ciampino is a much smaller international airport in Rome servicing budget airlines. If you are arriving from any country in the EU, you could fly into Ciampino airport. There is a direct bus from the Ciampino Airport to the Sulmona/Pratola25 stop. It takes about an hour and a half. Abruzzo is only a mere 2 hours from the Rome airports. With easy access to buses and trains – Why not give Abruzzo a chance for your next holiday? We are Domenico and Margaret and are the proud owners of La Rocca Mia House B&B in Roccacasale, Italy. Domenico is a native to this area and I moved to Abruzzo after retiring from an international teaching career. We wanted to live the simple life in this rural part of Italy. We discovered that this region of Abruzzo was indeed magical and wanted to share that with our family and friends which is why we decided to open our home as a B&B. We opened our doors officially in 2016. As people began to come we realized that they wanted more than just a B&B for an overnight stay. Our guests wanted to experience the local community with us. So we began to show them around, invite them to events and introduce them to the local farmers and medieval villages. We have now developed an experiential travel concept to pair with our Bed and Breakfast. Email us to get started on an itinerary that will prove to be a holiday of a lifetime! Click here: [email protected] We’d like to help you. Send us your questions and we’d be happy to answer them as soon as we can.
The Story of our House In the early 1900s, Luigi and Nunziata D'Ascanio started their family in the small village of Roccacasale, Italy, on the side of Monte Morrone in the region of Abruzzo. In 1903, their son, Antonio was born, the oldest of four children. In 1914, Luigi immigrated to America, leaving his wife and sons to build 'the biggest house they could' with the money he would send home. His sons and their families along with their mother all lived in the house together. Eventually, Antonio and his wife Angela had 9 children and with no work and no money he decided to immigrate to Canada in 1959. Michele (Antonio's brother) and his family remained on the third floor and until this day Michele's son, Vittorio and his wife, live there. Antonio had sold his portion of the house. The new owners, Fernanda D'Ascanio (no relations) along with her father and brother took over the first and second floors. They opened their home to travellers and used the first floor as an Evangelical church. After her death, the house was inherited by her two nieces from which we bought the house. This house has now become La Rocca Mia House B&B which was purchased in 2014, and after 2 years of renovations, it opened its doors in 2016 as a unique Bed and Breakfast. The structure of the house and garden has stayed the same but some modern touches have been added. Anthony D'Ascanio wanted to see the house that his grandfather had built over almost a century ago. Numerous stories of the town of Roccacasale were told by his father, Pasquale, and aunts and uncles who were born here. His cousin, Christina, eventually wrote these stories in a book. That book somehow got into my hands. I contacted Christina (thanks to Facebook) to let her know that her family heritage was in good hands. And then... In 2019, we were thrilled to have Anthony D'Ascanio and his wife Antonietta as our guests here at La Rocca Mia House. It was an emotional time for them. While they were here, we had a small gathering at the B&B with local friends, to welcome them home. His brother Gino and his wife will be coming in July 2020, we look forward to meeting them. Anthony describes his visit to La Rocca Mia House. Part of the charm of Abruzzo are the traditions of the past.
 Below you’ll find answers to the questions that we are asked most often. This FAQ series will be the primary way we can help people visiting our site find the information they need. Question: The number one question asked by potential guests to our B&B is ... how do I get from Rome to you in Abruzzo? Answer: There are three ways to get from Rome to Roccacasale: by car, by bus or by train.  BY CAR
The distance from the Rome Airport to Roccacasale is 141 km. When leaving the airport follow the green signposts for the Autostrada (highway) and L’Aquila. These lead you onto the Grande Raccordo Anulare, A91, follow this to uscita (exit) 14, the A24 (this is a toll road) signposted to L’Aquila and Pescara. After 30 to 40 minutes take A25 to Pescara and Chieti. Follow this to the exit for Sulmona/Pratola Peligna and then follow signs to Roccacasale. BY TRAIN If you are taking the train you will need to take the express train into Rome Central from the airport first and then find your way to the train station using the Metro to Tiburtina. You can follow the signs to the biglietteria (ticket office) where you can buy tickets to Sulmona or Pratola Peligna and get train information. Or you can buy your ticket online. It costs about 10 euros and takes about 3-4 hours. This is the longest of the three ways but it is a beautiful journey. The train travels slowly through beautiful mountain scenery, stopping at a number of stations, giving you ample time to enjoy the view. BY BUS There is a semi-direct bus from Fiumicino airport to the Sulmona/Pratola25 stop call ProntoBus. It leaves from arrivals at Door 5. It takes about 2 hours with a stop at the Ciampino airport and one in Avezzano. For up to date times and prices go to www.prontobusitalia.com. If you are already in Italy and coming from Rome Central and you want to come by bus you will need to go to the Tiburtina bus station and take the Flixbus to Abruzzo. Again you can order your ticket online and use Sulmona as your destination. It takes two hours with a stop in Avezzano. Both bus companies, as well as the train, have websites that can be translated into English and all three have mobile apps. www.prontobusitalia.it and www.flixbus.it https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html If you are coming from the Rome or Ciampino airports, the best way would be to take the ProntoBus. If you are coming from the center of Rome, the best way is to take the Flixbus. If you are coming from anywhere else in Italy, for example, Florence, the best way is to take the train. We’d like to help you. Send us your questions to [email protected] and we’d be happy to answer them as soon as we can. By the way, if you coming to La Rocca Mia House B&B we would be happy to make the arrangements for you by ordering your tickets and collecting you at the train or bus station and bringing you to the B&B! Experience the Heart of Authentic Unspoiled Italy  Easter in Abruzzo is a special time of year. It runs a close second to Christmas in terms of importance. Solemn religious processions are held in Italian cities and towns on the Friday or Saturday before Easter. Parade participants are often dressed in traditional ancient hooded costumes, and olive branches are often used along with palm fronds in the processions and to decorate churches. The procession starts at the church with participants carrying the statue of Jesus swaying rhythmically to solemn funeral music and a sort of crying type singing in Latin. These processions are used to remember Jesus' life through the stations of the cross. The oldest Good Friday procession in Italy is in Chieti right here in Abruzzo. The procession, with Secchi's Miserere played by 100 violins, is very moving. Sulmona (a small town near us) celebrates Easter Sunday with La Madonna Che Scappa in Piazza. On Easter Sunday people dress in green and white, colors of peace, hope, and resurrection, and gather in Piazza Garibaldi. The statue of the Virgin Mary is dressed in black. As she moves toward the fountain (carried by citizens in green), doves are released and the statue is suddenly dressed in green. Music and feasting follow. Italian children wake up on Easter morning to a boiled egg and sweet bread breakfast then it's off to church in a specially chosen elegant dress. After church, they attend the village parade (procession) and spend the day with their families. After a big lunch, the children are presented with their Easter treat. In years gone by, their grandparents or parents would give them a sweet cookie treat (made by hand) called Cavallo (horse) for the boys and Pupa (doll) for the girls. It looks like a sugar cookie in the shape of a horse or a doll, decorated with colored icing with an egg in the middle Nowadays, many children are given a commercially produced hollow chocolate eggs with a prize inside. Traditional Easter lunch across Abruzzo includes timballo, (an Abruzzi lasagna made with white sauce, ground beef, artichokes, and zucchini), slowly cooked lamb or goat with artichokes and a special Easter bread called 'Pizza di Pasqua' and for dessert - Colomba, a dove-shaped sweet bread. 'Faidoni' is another sweet cookie made and shaped by hand that would be served to visitors during Easter week. Easter Monday is a public holiday throughout Italy so most families set out on a family hike up to the nearest mountain and then sit down for a (hopefully) sunny afternoon picnic consisting of arrosticini or sausage on the grill, cheese, and Pizza di Pasqua. Some cities hold dances, free concerts, or unusual games, often involving eggs. There is always a band in the piazza and of course, wine. Discover Easter in Rural Italy
Book your next holiday in Abruzzo with us for Easter! Sign up for The Gelati Scoop Newsletter and enjoy our special offer for 5 days during Easter break! Just click the photo in the footer below to receive our publication. When the moon hits your eye like a big-a pizza pie, That's amore. Dean Martin made this song famous along with the line, When the stars make you drool Joost-a like pasta fazool, That's amore. And since I’ve been in Italy I’ve been looking for this Pasta Fazool. But what kind of pasta is Pasta Fazool? Well, I’ve come to find out that it’s not a pasta dish at all. It’s a soup! Pasta e fagioli, meaning "pasta and beans", is a traditional Italian soup. It is often called pasta fazool in the United States, derived from its Neapolitan name, pasta e fasule. Like many other Italian favorites, including pizza and polenta, it started as a peasant dish, being composed of inexpensive ingredients. I’ve decided since its winter and its getting cold outside that I’d try a few pasta e fagioli recipes until I find the one we like best. I tried a few from the internet but the best one, of course, comes from Domenico's mother using only the freshest ingredients. Abruzzo’s version of ‘pasta e fagioli’ is called ‘sagne e fagioli’ and is a rustic dish sometimes made with chickpeas instead of beans. But usually, it’s made by cooking ‘borlotti’ (pinto) beans in sauce, while strips of homemade pasta are added to the pot near the end of cooking. The homemade pasta noodles are made with flour and water, while the sauce is usually made with tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, chili peppers, and olive oil.  Here’s my favorite Pasta e Fagioli Recipe: 20 g of cut pasta (cut pasta means homemade pasta cut as you like) otherwise use tiny dried pasta, such as stelline, acini di pepe, orzo, and tubettini. These tiny pastas continue to soak up liquid as the pot sits on the stove, so it's important to serve the soup as soon as the pasta is cooked 1 stalk of celery 1 carrot ½ medium onion ¼ cup of tomato sauce 1 fresh sage leaf 400 g of fagioli 2 cups of vegetable broth (homemade is best) Olive oil Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper Chop celery, carrot, and onion finely. Put a bit of olive oil in your soup pot and saute the vegetables on medium heat. When onion mixture becomes soft, add the drained beans to the pot. Chop a fresh sage leaf and add that too. (Dom's mother will sometimes drop in a parmesan rind if she has one, but its for flavor - not to eat). Add two cups of vegetable broth and cover. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes or so, scoop out about a cup of the soup and blend with a hand-blender then return it to the pot. Next, add the pasta and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Serve in a ceramic bowl with salt/pepper and shredded parmesan cheese. Then drizzle your best olive oil on top! Serves 4 Options:
If you are interested in visiting Abruzzo and experiencing authentic abruzzo cooking, or maybe even taking part in the wine or olive harvest - simply contact us at [email protected] today.
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About the authorThis blog is curated by Margaret Gigliotti, B&B owner, teacher, explorer, wine drinker and creative writer. 
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