Art treasures, museums, Roman ruins, sweeping country vistas and cities dripping with culture are all very noble and mind-enriching, but on the other hand, let’s not forget either that Italy’s also a country of fashion, flair and fun and that the best way to experience this is to go SHOPPING !

(Retail therapy arrives in Abruzzo. With a vengeance. Click on the main headline title above to find out where…)

L’Aquila is the capital of Abruzzo. With its daily market, sights and shops, It’s a great place for a day out – and within easy reach of your Abruzzo villa for two !

Ringed by the mountains of the Gran Sasso and the Majella, L’Aquila sits 2150 feet up in the broad valley of the Aterno River. The city was founded in the 13th century by Frederick II, who drew together the communities from 99 surrounding small villages…

(Find out what you can see and do on a day trip to Abruzzo’s capital by clicking on the headline title above)

All the good-sized towns within easy reach of Villasfor2 – Lanciano, Chieti, Pescara, Vasto – have two or three decent enough shopping streets, but the problem is that everything closes down between roughly 1200 and 1600 – and that puts a bit of a dent in your day. Not good when you want to make the most of your time on your Abruzzo villa holiday for two. It means you’ve either got to get started really early – or stay really late to get in some decent shopping time. So if you want to go shopping in Abruzzo at a time that suits you and spend as long as you want browsing to your heart’s content – head for…

(Head for…where ? Click on the headline title above to find out the full story – with loads of pictures !)