Hidden Navelli

«... We had already passed the rocky bottling of Civitaretenga and we had entered the Navelli Plan. What wonderful crops. The well-ordered fields of saffron, vegetables, and grains had the beauty of a garden, and showed a love of the earth that moved, like every love whose extinction is feared. "
Thus Ignazio Silone describes Navelli and his plane.

How much history has passed through this plain! Vestini, Romans, Byzantines, Lombards, the Medici! And what about the Jews who resided here and had thriving businesses. And of San Bernardino who together with Iacopo Nanni gave birth to the frumentary bank that inspired the creation of Monte dei Paschi.

When I walk through the Borgo Antico, I can breathe the air of local events that have intertwined with the great events that have taken place since the Middle Ages to the present day.

My family belongs to Navelli even if, in times not too far away, like many other families, it moved elsewhere. But then we came back to Navelli.

History with a capital H is intertwined with Navelli with the many small stories of those who live there. And the houses of the old village, its churches, the buildings give it back to those who can read and understand them. .

Should you be willing to discover them I'll be glad to share these stories. We will start from Piazza San Pelino to discover the palazzo ru miglionarije (of the millionaire) and climbing the stairs we will discover ru maceglije (the slaughterhouse) and ru forne d'appede (the oven below) intended for cooking community bread. At the top of the staircase the house of the Madonna and ru forno d'accape (the oven at the top) will give us the excuse for the ritual of "Ju Sdiunittu" based on Abruzzese wine, bread, oil and local cheese.

But other stories and some legends await us. The Church of San Sebastiano, Palazzo Piccioli, the ruin of the church of Sant'Eugenia.

Ans as I'm also a Guida del Gusto (Wine and food guide) at the end of the tour I'll guide you on a wine and food tasting lesson based on local products like chickpeas, saffron, olive oil, cheese and liqueurs.