Scanno and L'Osteria Costanza e Roberto -- Charm and Hospitality Worthy of the Words -- We're pleased to share with you these two treasures. Wherever we've ventured in and around Scanno, we've felt rewarded, comfortable, and welcomed. Come up from the south…Read More

Scanno and L'Osteria Costanza e Roberto

-- Charm and Hospitality Worthy of the Words --

We're pleased to share with you these two treasures. Wherever we've ventured in and around Scanno, we've felt rewarded, comfortable, and welcomed.

Come up from the south via Villetta Barrea and over the Godi Pass. Arrive from the north via Sulmona and up the gorge of the Saggitario, passing the nearby Lake Scanno. Either way, photogenic old Scanno itself merits at least an overnight stay. Wander up and down the old (and steep) cobbled streets; shop for local "presantose" or other hand-crafted items, including intricately done lacework; duck into several well-maintained churches; enjoy views into some of the nearby, unpopulated mountains and down into the charming, vegetable-garden-filled valley; hike some of the numerous "sentieri" foot paths and / or "strade bianche" gravel farm roads radiating out (and often up) from Scanno; take the rare very-early-morning bus up to Frattura and hike down from Vecchia Frattura (destroyed in the 1915 earthquake) to Villalago, from which you can take a bus back to Scanno for less than 2 euros. (Be sure to inquire at the Scanno tourist information office for schedules.) Or enjoy the moderately easy walk from Scanno up to the little Church of San Egidio and then down to the shores of Lake Scanno. At lakeside, you can have a meal or a refreshing beverage, rent a paddle boat or fish from the shore. Or you can continue walking, arriving in Villalago in less than an hour. In Villalago we always head for the Bar / Ristorante "La Fontanella" on the main square, where the German beer on tap is good, cold, and very refreshing, and where the servers have always been patient with our deficient Italian and informative about the bus schedules back to Scanno. If winter skiing interests you (by now it should be obvious that we are not winter visitors), there is a ski lift from Scanno itself up to Colle Rotunda and then from there up to Monte Rotunda. We imagine that Scanno's website will give more information about wintertime possibilities in and around Scanno. During our early summer visits, we have noticed what seems to us to be an over-capacity of hotel rooms and condos, which may suggest that it wouldn't be too difficult to find lodging for a ski holiday.

If you value exceptional hospitality blended with delicious traditional and seasonal regional cuisine, you can depend upon spouses Roberto and Costanza. Study the menus if you wish, but we've found it's more fun to entrust ourselves to Costanza's and Roberto's recommendations. Costanza's special expertise is exquisite food and its enticing visual presentation, while Roberto is a most helpful certified sommelier. Don't be reluctant to ask questions about the food or to admit that your knowledge of wines (and/or your budget for them) is limited; your queries are truly welcome. Exclusive of wines, you can dine wonderfully for 20 - 30 euros per person. Menus change every two weeks or so, depending on the availability of fresh foods in the markets. Select ingredients have been produced organically. Past menus with prices are available on the Osteria's website.

And there is more! If you're curious about local customs or Italian history, just ask--in English, French, or Italian. On our last visit, for example, we learned about a powerful local saint and her upcoming festa, about the Bersaglieri playing music for that evening's ceremony honoring local war dead, and about a scenic train line winding from Sulmona south through high mountains and across a beautiful plain.

Upon entering Costanza and Roberto's Osteria, we are always impressed by the tasteful ambience. Look around and you'll notice unobtrusive reminders of Scanno's picturesque past, upbeat notes of contemporary color, and a hint or two of Costanza's affection for water birds. The tables are set with grace, the tablecloths and napkins are spotless, and water comes in a carafe, not in the bottle. The glassware sparkles and the cutlery shines. You may hear some soft music in the background, but there's nothing to distract you from your meal or from your conversation. Our dining choices have always been taken and served by Costanza and Roberto themselves.

Hours: Open every day for both lunch and dinner from the end of June until September. Otherwise, for lunch and dinner Wednesdays through Sundays. Closed for vacation mid-November to mid-December. Note: also open for the Christmas holidays December 24 to January 6. Reservations are welcome but generally not necessary. However, it wouldn't hurt to phone or drop by in advance to be sure seating will be available. Within Italy, phone: 0864-74345. You can also get better acquainted with the Osteria via the internet at Osteria, and you can learn more about Scanno itself at Scanno.

For our most recent visit to Scanno (June, 2003), Roberto facilitated arrangements for us to rent an apartment for a week or so. Once you and he get to know each other, he may have time to help you. Be sure to begin well in advance of your next planned visit. Also check Scanno's website for information on lodging possibilities. We have stayed twice in the Albergo Centrale, very nicely located just off the main piazza. Centrale rooms are not luxurious (a feature we greatly appreciate). Centrale staff have always been most helpful and tolerant of our very limited Italian. In June 2002 We paid 50 euros per night for a double bed with private bath (plenty of hot water!) and continental breakfasts. If you enquire there, please say "hello" from Allen and Mara.

Getting there: Scanno is located in the province of Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. By car, Scanno is approximately 2 hours from Rome, 2 1/2 hours from Naples, 1 hour from Pescara, and 1 hour from L'Acquila. The nearest train station is in Sulmona. Blue ARPA buses leave for Scanno from the station piazza. In Scanno get off at the stop in the Centro Storico, just past the main square (Piazza Santa Maria della Valle). In this piazza, locate the Via Roma (just to the left of the Bar Abruzzi), and follow the Via Roma till you come to the Osteria, on your right, maybe 20 meters from the piazza.

Buon viaggio a Scanno, e per favore dite "saluti" da noi a Roberto e Costanza!

Allen and Mara, Eugene, Oregon, USA