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Ernest Hemingway said that the spring of Abruzzo was the most beautiful in Italy. And if he said it, we will have to believe him because he had plenty of comparative data: in few places on the globe there is not a plaque, a suite or a cocktail with his name certifying that the author of For Whom the Bell Tolls was there. And the greenest region of the Alpine country (and much of Europe), located in the center, was not going to be less.

Through its chestnut forests walked the American in his hunting days. And for its beautiful medieval villages perched high in the hills. Nor did he miss the peaks of the Gran Sasso, which hides the highest of the Apennines. Nor the seaports that dot its coastline, bathed by the Adriatic. Without forgetting the long beaches of turquoise waters in the purest Caribbean style.

Two cyclists, on the coast of Abruzzo, where the Giro d'Italia starts.

This is Abruzzo, a seductive combination of mare e monti (sea and mountain) and even snow (its seasons are legendary) difficult to emulate, with three national parks, another regional and 44 protected areas. "In 30 minutes you can go from being on the beach to skiing," says Marco Massilio, president of the region. However, it remains one of the country's lesser-known destinations, even by its own inhabitants, who have yet to exploit this gem that was once the northernmost territory of the Spanish kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Perhaps things will change from May 6, when the Giro d'Italia starts here, two hours from Rome. The exact place of the Grande Partenza (Great Start) of this 105th edition will be Fossacesia Marina, a pleasant town nestled on the beach between rows of centenary olive trees, vineyards, fruit trees and photogenic pebble beaches.

The Costa dei Trabocchi, where the Giro starts this year.I. GARCÍA

His link with cycling goes back a long way, since one of his national myths, Alessandro Fantini, was born here. Another reason for Mauro Vegni, director of the Giro, to be delighted that the pink race starts in Abruzzo for the second time in its history (the first was in 2001). "It's always been a land of cycling," he recalls.

THREE CYCLING STAGES

In fact, two more stages will be held, in addition to the inaugural one. "They will be very picturesque and suitable for all runners. The initial time trial will cross the Costa dei Trabocchi; the second, from Téramo to San Salvo, will be for sprinters and the seventh, the most interesting, will end at the Gran Sasso", adds Vegni. During the first two you pedal parallel to the sea. From Fossacesia cyclists will arrive in Ortona after 18.4 kilometres. Most of them, along a bike path that covers a greenway through which trains rattled.

Seafood tray in the province of Pescara.I. GARCIA

The panorama could not be more idyllic. Of course, the real protagonists of the route are the trabocchi, a kind of gigantic wooden stilts on the water that worked as fishing machines from the eighteenth century to the late twentieth century. "They had pulleys that allowed them to raise the 250 m2 nets full of fish," says Roberto di Vincenzo, president of the Local Action Group of the Coast, promoter of the recovery of these relics, which were falling into abandonment.

He tells it sitting at the table inside one of them, Trabocco Suporter, in Punta Rocciosa, while savoring a plate of red prawns, crayfish, clams and oysters, since most of the surviving (about 30) have become flirtatious restaurants specializing in fish and seafood.

Port of the city of Pescara.SHUTTERSTOCK

For something we are in a marine area par excellence. As an example, the name of the most populous and touristic city of Abruzzo, Pescara (120,000 inhabitants, ahead of its capital, L'Aquila, with 70,000), comes from pescaria, rich in fish. Although it was largely destroyed in World War II, its old town preserves monuments such as the cathedral of the Gran Setteo or the house-museum of the writer Gabriele D'Annunzio, who was born here.

The 'salon' of Pescara

The nerve center of the metropolis is Piazza Rinascita, called Piazza Salotto (Hall Square) by the locals, who see it as just that, the living room of their own house in which everything happens. A perfect area for lunch, dinner or drinks is the Corso Gabriele Manthoné, full of restaurants such as Taverna 58, where the Marrone family has been offering delicatessen for 40 years such as the sublime frittatina, a kind of omelette with vegetables and cheese or cod with onion jam. And everything, washed down with the best wines from Abrucense.

Interior of the Zaccagnini.I. winery GARCIA

We do not forget that this is a wine region, so visits to wineries with tasting included can not be missed. One of the most original is that of Zaccagnini, in Bolagnano. Its motto is "from the bunch to the glass, giving priority to artisan work", says the winemaker Concezio Marvili in the viewpoint from which to scan its 300 hectares of vineyards, among which several sculptures sneak in. Not surprisingly, art is one of its hallmarks, with 44 works scattered throughout the estate.

We resume the Giro before leaving the Adriatic, since the second stage (May 7) covers 204 kilometers between the towns of Téramo and San Salvo. The first allows you to contemplate both the snowy peaks of Abruzzo and the most paradisiacal beaches. San Salvo, on the other hand, is perfect for a day in the sun.

A cyclist consults a map in the town of Téramo.

It's time to head for the mountain, the majestic Gran Sasso of the seventh stage (May 12), crossing abbeys, fortresses, monasteries, lakes and medieval villages whose houses (sometimes multicolored, sometimes ochre) meander between the slopes in an almost miraculous way. Some such as Barrea, Capestrano or Atri are considered among the most beautiful in Italy, according to the homonymous association that elaborates the ranking.

THE SOUTHERNMOST GLACIER IN EUROPE

The cycling race begins in Capua (Caserta) and arrives, after 218 kilometers and three scoring ports, to the Campo Imperatore valley, in the Gran Sasso National Park, at more than 2,100 meters of altitude and with ramps of up to 13% in the final section. Cyclists will have in the background the highest peak of the Apennines, the Corno Grande (2,912 meters), as well as the southernmost glacier in Europe, the Calderone.

Hiking in Gran Sasso National Park.SHUTTERSTOCK

These are just some jewels of this natural prodigy called Little Tibet "for bringing together the same number of peaks, 14, although here they do not exceed 3,000 meters," says guide Luisa di Labio. It is also one of the best places in central Italy for hiking and skiing, having 500 kilometers of slopes.

We leave for the end of the tour of Abruzzo its capital, L'Aquila, sadly famous for the earthquake that completely destroyed it in 2009. Today, 14 years later, cranes still dominate every corner of the city, still under reconstruction. Even so, do not miss a visit to the basilicas of Santa Maria di Collemaggio and San Bernardino, the Fountain of the 99 canals and the Spanish Fort, built in the Bourbon era and home to the National Museum of Abruzzo.

Mammoth of the Castle of L'Aquila. MARCO ALPOZZI

In it rests the skeleton of the huge mammoth of 11,500 kilos and four meters high that inhabited these parts 1.5 million years ago. Curious end to this pedal route flavored with mare e monti.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

HOW TO GET THERE

Airlines such as Iberia fly from Spain to Rome, the international airport two hours from Abruzzo.

WHERE TO SLEEP

Villa Maria Hotel & Spa. Elegant four-star 84-room hotel with swimming pools, gardens and restaurant serving local cuisine in Francavilla al Mare, a beautiful seaside resort next to Pescara.

WHERE TO EAT

Trabocco Suporter. Fish and seafood served in one of the trabocchi of Punta Rocciosa converted into original restaurants on the sea.

Mary. Typical mountain cuisine under the Gran Sasso served by Doña María for 40 years. You have to try the antipasti (starters) based on proschiutto (ham) and goat cheese, pasta with mushrooms and truffle, lamb skewers and homemade tiramisu.

Taverna 28. Historic place in the center of Pescara to taste traditional dishes with a creative air.

MORE INFORMATION

On the websites of www.giroditalia.it and www.abruzzoturismo.it

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