Guardiagrele, one of the most beautiful villages in Abruzzo
About 30 kilometers from the Best Western Hotel Parco Paglia, heading towards the north-western area of the province, is the town of Guardiagrele. Headquarters of the Majella National Park and part of the Majelletta Mountain Community, Guardiagrele is famous for its artisanal productions, particularly in metalworking.
In addition to being the birthplace of the goldsmith, engraver and painter Nicola Gallucci, known as Nicola da Guardiagrele, as well as the well-known Abruzzo dialectal poet Modesto Della Porta, it hosts the Abruzzese Artistic Handicraft Exhibition every year from 1 to 20 August, which proposes to the visitor the artifacts of the goldsmith tradition. In fact, it was the first place, together with Agnone, where the production of the presentosa began, an Abruzzese female jewel generally in gold, worn on festive occasions.
Guardiagrele is part of the community of the most beautiful villages in Italy. This ancient center of the Theatine hinterland, located 600 meters above sea level, has been inhabited since prehistoric times and preserves a rich heritage of monuments of great artistic importance. The historic center is very well preserved and winds through the ring road of the ancient walls, today fortified houses still delimited by medieval towers, and sees among its flagship jewels the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Paleochristian Basilica and the Museum of Sacred Art .
The development of the artisan activity, mainly focused on the working of more or less noble metals, led to the development of a handicraft considered among the most representative of the region for the artistic working of wrought iron and copper.
The town's pastry-making tradition is also strong with the production of the famous and characteristic Sise delle monache.
Zitumassin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons