Umbria is a region of Central Italy, bordered by Tuscany to the west, the Marche to the east and Lazio to the south. This region is mostly hilly or mountainous. Its relief is dominated by the Apennines to the east — accounting for the highest point in the region at the summit of Monte Vettore.
To the south of Umbria lie the Italian Regions of Marche and Abruzzo. Abruzzo holds some of Italy’s best-preserved medieval and Renaissance hill towns. The abrupt decline of Abruzzo’s agricultural economy in the early to mid-20th century saved some of the region’s most beautiful hill towns from the onslaught of modern development. Near the Gran Sasso National Park is Valle San Giovanni, an agricultural center whose artisans produced ceramics for most of the royal houses of Europe. No longer home to many artisans, the town has a modest tourist trade. The well known inn, Villa Casale, is located in the center of this up and coming village.
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To the south of Umbria is the region of Abruzzo. Abruzzo is a region in central Italy lying just 70 miles east of Rome and bordering Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Although geographically a central region, ISTAT (the Italian statistical authority) considers it part of the Mezzogiorno or Southern Italy. Until 1963 it was part of the Abruzzi region with Molise. The term Abruzzi derives from the time when the region was part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the territory was administered as Abruzzo Citeriore (Nearer Abruzzo) and Abruzzo Ulteriore I and II (Farther Abruzzo I and II ), that being nearer and farther from Naples, the capital of the kingdom. Abruzzo Citeriore is present day Chieti province. Abruzzo Ulteriore I comprises the Teramo and Pescara provinces; Abruzzo Ulteriore II now comprises the Province of L’Aquila. Located in Abruzzo is Valle San Giovanni.
Church of Saint John
Valle San Giovanni is a small village of approximately 350 people located about six miles away from the town (comune) of Teramo, the capital of the province of Teramo, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso are about 25 km away. It sits in the Tordino Valley, near the spot where two small streams, the Lete and the Fiumicello, flow into the Tordino river. According to some sources the town takes its name from a powerful Teramo family with the last name “Di Valle”. Others claim that the name derives from its proximity to an ancient monastery, San Giovanni in Pergullis (Saint John amongst the Pergolae), a location surrounded by many vineyards. Over the years, the history of Valle San Giovanni has been closely linked with two neighboring communities, Frunti a feudal holding of the “De Frunto” family, and Teramo with whom there existed an enduring reciprocal alliance. At one point Teramo briefly annexed Frunti leading to renewed efforts by it inhabitants to break these feudal ties and traditions. In 1338 the townspeople declared their independence from Teramo, thereby reaffirming their autonomous civil liberties. This arrangement lasted until 1457 when Frunti became part of the county Montorio al Vomano. In 1668 Frunti passed into the hands of the Count Crescenzio De Crescentiis. In the beginning of the 1700s Frunti became aligned with neighboring Valle San Giovanni, which at that time was becoming increasingly developed due to having annexed the surrounding church and vineyards of San Giovanni in Pergulis and to serving as a sheep herding way station. This great migration of sheep from Abruzzo to Puglia and Lazio was known as the transumanza. Valle San Giovanni sits on one such trail known as the San Quirico. In the 1500 and 1600s, Valle San Giovanni witnessed a number of brigand skirmishes, these arising from struggles over control of the surrounding forest areas. At least a few of these brigands were themselves local townsfolk. In the midst of these ongoing struggles, San Giovanni in Pergulis, the monastery on the outskirts of Valle San Giovanni, experienced a rapid and irreversible decline. In 1561 Pope Paul IV deeded these holdings, along with the remains of the old convent, to the collegiate church of Montorio al Vomano with the understanding that they would be restored. Unfortunately, this was not to be and further deterioration ensued. In 1775 the church authorities of Montorio al Vomano ceded San Giovanni in Pergulis and all of its associated religious functions, to the main church of Valle San Giovanni, Madonna della Neve. The latter sits in the center of Valle San Giovanni, and takes its name, Madonna della Neve (Our Lady of Snow), from a legend in which a church was to be erected on the spot where a summer snowfall was to occur. Madonna della Neve is known for its frescoes dating back to 1458 and for the religious festival held the first weekend in August of each year which serves to commemorate its founding. In 1603 the Marquis Baltassarre Caracciolo, had three of these brigands executed in an effort to put an end once and for all to the ongoing rivalries arising at that time. In 1682, two groups of brigands again fought acrimoniously for control of the land surrounding Valle San Giovanni. One such battle lasted six days and came to an end only when soldiers from Teramo were summoned to put an end to the conflict. Just one year later, in 1683, the town was sacked and almost completely destroyed by Don Alfonso di Villaparte in an attempt to capture the famous brigand, Santuccio Di Froscia, who for years had been terrorizing the countryside. In 1799 a group of soldiers from Valle San Giovanni, under the leadership of the brigand leader, Vincenzo Rolli, fought valiantly against the French occupying forces. In 1809 the French Napoleonic forces, who would rule for ten years under the Kingdom of Naples, chose Valle San Giovanni as the center of vast communal territory which included the ex feudal states of Frunti, Valle Piola, Abetemozzo, Borgonovo e Poggio Rattieri. In the first half of the 1800s, coal deposits were discovered and mined very near the town. From the early 1900s onward, many of the citizens of Valle San Giovanni emigrated to New Jersey, Montreal, and elsewhere. This served to further impoverish the small village and greatly reduced its population. In 1868 the town (comune) of Cortino was administratively established and Valle San Giovanni came under the jurisdiction of Montorio al Vomano. In 1929 Valle San Giovanni separated from Montorio al Vomano and became a suburb (frazione) of Teramo. According to local sources and histories, during the Second World War the grottoes located immediately above Valle San Giovanni served as places of refuge for the Italian partisans then battling the German forces. Located off of the main piazza, Largo della Chiesa, is Via del Casale. The residents of Valle San Giovanni call themselves “Vallaroli”. Adjacent to Valle San Giovanni are the nearby towns of Frondarola, Travazzano and Valle Soprana.
Located in Valle San Giovanni is Villa Casale
The property takes its name from its location on Via del Casale in Valle San Giovanni, a small town located about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Teramo (population 53,000), the capital city of one of the four provinces of the Abruzzo region. It is midway between the Adriatic Sea (25 km/15 miles) and the Gran Sasso (20 km/12 miles), the highest peak in the Apennine mountain range. Rome is about 176 km/110 miles away. An airport in Pescara is located about 48 miles/80 km to the south. Valle San Giovanni is a quiet town of about 300 people. The residents of “La Valle” refer to themselves as Vallaroli and are the nicest people in the world! Many have relatives who emigrated to southern New Jersey and Montreal. Casale sits by itself at the end of a short alley off the main piazza. This provides a sense of serenity when desired while still allowing plenty of contact with the lovely townspeople. In days past friendly Pasquale could be seen looking out of the corner of his eye as you pass by for your passeggiata (stroll). The town has a church (“chiesa”), one bar (Bar Novanta) run by Francesca and Giovanni Marini, a grocery store (alimentari) owned by Paolo Riccioni, Irma’s fruit and vegetable store (fruttivendolo), a post office branch (Ufficio Postale), and a hardware store (ferramenta) run by Leonardo DeCamillis. There are several restaurants within a 3-7 km driving distance. Casale was completed in August, 2004. The interior area is 62 square meters (667 square feet). There are two bedrooms (one with a matrimonial bed and a second with two twin beds), a living room with a couch that folds out into a double bed (this is where Stefano sleeps as it is extremely comfortable, a fully equipped kitchen, and a bathroom with an enclosed shower. There is a wood burning stove for heating and a washing machine. A ceiling fan cools things a bit in the summer. The screens on the windows were expensive but work well. Parking is in the piazza about 90ft/30 meters away. Crime in the town is virtually nonexisitent. Gossiping in the town is plenty existent. This will not be a problem for you but I will hear stories after you leave so behave yourself! Guests enjoy a patio with an unobstructed view of Valle Soprana (no known relation to Tony Soprano!). A bus runs several times per day between Valle San Giovanni and Teramo. Casale is a great place to center your vist to Abruzzo while at the same time a perfect getaway from major tourist attractions. It provides peace and tranquility as well as the opportunity to take enjoyable daytrips to nearby beaches, fortress towns, and mountains.
Sponsored by Casale – Villa Rental in Abruzzo Italy
