Imagine for one moment a place where rugged mountain ranges dominate the skyline, their imposing blue shadows laying claim to vast forests of spruce and silver fir trees below. Picture tiny country roads winding through lush olive groves, an earthen carpet to guide you through the dense flora and fauna that abounds. Where great mountains meet placid turquoise seas, you will find Abruzzo, a land of savage beauty tamed only by a people robust enough to settle the unknown wilderness of its hills and mountains.

Abruzzo is the proud birthplace of Ovid, pre-dates ancient Rome, and is home to a distinguished nineteen “Borghi piu belli d’Italia” (Most Beautiful Villages of Italy). Yet it remains an undiscovered delight swallowed between the bellies of Le Marche and Lazio. From its astonishing series of medieval villages carved into mountaintops to the gargantuan “trabocchi” (fishing huts) that line its seashores, Abruzzo is a land of  surprises, and whether accidentally or by design, one of Italy’s best kept secrets.

Hungry for more Abruzzo? Sign up for CountryBred’s Fresh Bred newsletter to receive our special January edition featuring the Liguria and Abruzzo regions of Italy. Here’s a taste of what’s in store:

LIGURIA:

– All Heart In Genoa – Vernazza: A Quaint Corner of Cinque Terre – In The Footsteps of Poets: Sestri Levante & Lerici – Wines of Liguria: Pigato & Macajolo – Flavors of Liguria

ABRUZZO:

– The Abruzzo Landscape: Mountaintop Castles, Medieval Villages and Much More. – Postcard from Sulmona – The Golden Triangle: Loreto Apruntino, Pianella & Moscufo – Wines of Abruzzo: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo & Cerasuolo – Flavors of Abruzzo