There are no old buildings in the medieval town of Cassino, an hour south of Rome. No historic relics. No sign of its great antiquity.

The town, along with its mighty Benedictine Abbey on the summit of Monte Cassino, was obliterated between January and May 1944 in one of World War II’s epic battles.

(Monte Cassino is an unforgettable day out on your Abruzzo holiday. Click the main title above to discover more…)

Doesn’t happen too often – but how good is it when it does – that something so exceeds your expectations that the dull thud you hear on experiencing it all is the sound of your own jaw dropping to the floor.

The Vatican Museum has joined that elite personal collection.

(That rarity – a Museum trip that thrills. And there’s so much more than Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling to see.
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Actually, that should probably read ‘Having Lunch At The Same Place As George Clooney, Only A Few Days Later’, but why let an unimportant fact ruin a killer headline ?

(George Clooney. Pope Benedict. Sulmona. Red garlic. Candy. All key – though unlikely – ingredients of our day out in Abruzzo’s hinterland. Click on the main headline title above to find out more…)