Don’t get the idea that Abruzzo festa and sagre - the feasts, fairs and festivals for which the region’s renowned - only take place in the summer. They’re a year-round attraction - as you’ll find when your’re staying at our Abruzzo villas for two. And one of the very best took place last week in neighbouring Casoli…

(Click on the headline title above for more on our biggest local Abruzzo festa - with pictures !)

It’s nearly 750 years old and perhaps the most famous landmark in L’Aquila – but is there a hidden Knights Templar code locked into ‘La Fontana delle 99 Cannelle’ ?

To this day, nobody knows the source of the ice-cold water that gushes from the 99 spouts. The story goes that the architect - a certain Tancredi of Pentima - was executed because he refused to give up this secret. The story also goes that his body is buried somewhere within the Fountain’s boundaries.

Then the plot really starts to thicken…

(For more on this medieval mystery - and picture clues that might help you solve it ! - click on the headline title above…)

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)