Monaghan Vacations Inc

Luxury Cottage Break

An Extraordinary Vacation:

• 200 year old stone farmhouse
• Totally renovated & designer decorated to hip modern interior style
• Located in Gran Sasso National Park
• Surrounded by Italian countryside - vineyards, pine trees and olive groves
• 3 double bedrooms with views of the mountains and luxury bedding
• Hand made Moroccan carpets
• Eat in kitchen and breakfast room
• Separate dinning room seating 12 people
• 3 acres of private gardens, fragrant rosemary and lavender & olive groves
• All weather tennis court
• Private stone swimming pool
• Open air wood fired pizza oven
• Frette linens, Allessi ware
• La Pavoni espresso maker
• International telephone and broadband high speed Internet access
• World class vineyards nearby
• Glorious cuisine
• Historic hilltop towns of Penne & Vestea
• Easy international air access to Pescara
• 3 hours by train from Rome
• 2 hours drive from Rome
• Cultural gems of the renaissance
• Wide sandy beaches on the Adriatic Sea
• Horse riding & Hiking
• Skiing in winter

Abruzzan Art

Abruzzo is an acknowledged natural wonderland, but it is also filled with glorious byzantine and renaissance artworks.

Tucked amongst the regions mountains and forests there are numerous towns and villages that possess art masterworks.

Just around the mountian from our luxury cottage is L’Aquila, one of the most important cultural centres of Italy, a city of churches, towers and squares. In the hillsides near the Adriatic Sea are the towns of  Atri, Campli and Teramo.

Even closer to our cottage are the hilltop towns of Penne, Citta S.Angelo and  Loreto Aprutino surrounded by  olive tree groves. In the south are situated Chieti, Lanciano and Vasto. At the hem of the Maiella: Guardiagrele, Popoli and Sulmona and towards inland Celano, Tagliacozzo and Pescocostanzo.

All the artistic riches of these towns and hamlets are testimony to the art and history of a civilization that during the last centuries has gone through wealthy and poorer periods.

In Abruzzo the Middle Ages represented the golden period of the churches, of the convents and of castles. A particular example is the Medieval church of San Liberatore of Maiella in Serramonacesca built in the Roman-Abruzzan way.

In Castiglione in Casauria is the church of San Clemente, built in a particularly harmoniously and richly decorated with stone and marble sculptures. In Aquila, at the order of Pope Celestino V the Cathedral of Colle Maggio was built with the typical regional surfaces of beautiful white and pink stone.

Throughout Abruzzo there are a large number of Sanctuaries that demonstrate the devotion to a faith felt and lived in a harsh challenging environment. The pilgrimage to these destinations, often situated in far away places, can be tough but are ultimately rewarding.And then there's always your luxury cottage to return to for a good bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and some fine local cheese

represent the annual renewal of the hope and of a suffering humanity that beyond reason has faith in unknowable forces.

Abruzzo Map

Here is a map of wonderful Abruzzo:

Luxury Cottage Vacations

Luxury Cottages
The ultimate cottage vacation in the glorious Italian region of Abruzzo. 

Wild mountains, rolling golden fields, fragrant vineyards and wide sandy beaches.

Historic Hilltop Towns
Festivals, cathedrals, & undiscovered cultural gems. Gorge on robust country food in rustic restaurants & sip fabulous local wine

Snow capped Mountains
Stunning through out the year. Ski at Europe’s most southern ski resorts in winter.

Abruzzo offers all experiences. Enjoy it from your luxury cottage in Vestea.

Contact us at Monaghan Vacations to reserve your special visit to Italy now. Email us now.

monaghanvacations@mac.com

Air Connections

It is so easy to get to our luxury cottage in Vestea.

The region's main airport at Pescara is only a 20 minute drive from the cottage in Vestea. The Airport has offices of all the major car rental companies.

It is a smaller airport, so there is very little wait for your baggage and the security lines are easy. The autostrada runs alongside the airport entrance so you are on your way to a luxurious cottage vacation in a jiffy.

There are direct flights from:

• Rome
• Milan
• London
• Frankfurt
• Munich
• New York
• Paris
• Toronto
• Brussells
• Turin
• Barcelona
• Split

The complete airline service schedule in english can be found at the Pescara airport's web site here:
pescara airport

Driving in Italy

Its not that scary!

Yes, do Italian's tend to drive very fast on their high quality autostradas. But driving in Italy is not that difficult and especially on the country roads and byways of Abruzzo.

Abruzzo has very high speed highway connections to Rome and all the other major centers in Italy. Once on these autostradas its a breeze, but don't forget that there are tolls to pay.

For traffic conditions and other information on the major highways of Italy g to this site:
http://www.autostrade.it/en/index.html

Here is a map of the major autostrade that criss cross the country:

DRIVING IN ITALY: GENERAL INFORMATION
Italy has an excellent network of roads and highways that is one of the most extensive in Europe, comprising nearly 6400km of express highways and 288,000km of secondary roads.

The country's famous super highways or 'autostrade' ('autostrada' is the singular form) run the length and breadth of the peninsula. These toll roads are supported by an excellent network of secondary roads, classified into different categories of national highways ('strade statali'), provincial roads ('strade provinciali') and municipal roads ('strade communali').

Due to the success of companies like Fiat, Italians have a high level of car ownership. This can create congestion in some of the northern areas and in cities. But in southern parts of the country the roads are less crowded.

REQUIREMENTS
To rent a car, you must be at least 18 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge. Seatbelts are mandatory and children under 12 must wear an age-appropriate restraint. The blood-alcohol limit for driving is .08.

SPEED LIMITS
Speed limits in Italy are as follows: City 30mph/50kph Open Roads 66mph/110kph Highways 81mph/130kph

RULES OF THE ROAD
Traffic travels on the right and the center lane of a three lane road is for passing. If you are stopped for a traffic violation, police are empowered to collect fines on the spot.

GAS
Gas stations are open from 7am to 12:30pm and from 3:30pm to 7pm. Most stations are closed on Sundays. There are 24 hour stations along the highway. Unleaded gas is approximately US$4.00 per gallon.

TOLLS
The 'autostrade' is Italy's toll super highway and toll cards can be purchased at banks or at Automoblie Club d'Italia (ACI) offices.

PARKING
Street parking is confined to the right side of the street. In blue zones, a parking disk, obtained at tourist offices, ACI offices or gas stations must be displayed on the dashboard. Parking in this zone is limited to one hour. There is also metered street parking. In these areas, you will see a large sign with the letter "P." Look for a coin box where you will deposit enough coins to pay for the length of time you wish to stay. The machine will dispense a ticket showing the time of day that you must vacate the parking space. Display this ticket on the dashboard of the car.

Hope this helps you feel better in getting around by car in Abruzzo.

Come stay with us at our luxury cottage in Vestea Italy.

Email us for further information:
monaghanvacations@mac.com

What to do in Winter?

Abruzzo's beautiful year round snow capped mountains contain Italy's and Europe's southernmost ski resorts.

So its not just the beach that is an attraction in Italy's most beautiful region. You can use our luxury cottage as your deluxe base to experience all the joys of winter sports - Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and nordic skiing.

The resorts are intimate and very high quality. They are as yet undiscovered by the winter travel set, so are uncrowded and a breeze to get your runs in, or just sit at the cafe table sipping the grappa and eating the hearty pasta.

Here is a list of skiing centers in Abruzzi -
PRATI di TIVO (TE) Height: 1450-2912 - 1 chair lift; 6 ski lifts; 20 KM of skiing track; 1 ring 2 Km for cross-country Info: 0861/959605 
Internet: http://www.pratiditivo.it/home.html 
WebCam: http://www.pratiditivo.it/webcam/cam7.jpg   

PRATO SELVA (TE) Height: 1400-1800 - 1 chair lift; 3 ski lifts; 20 KM of skiing track; 20 Km of track for cross-country Info: 0861/95434-95435
Internet: http://www.pratiditivo.it/home.html

CAMPO IMPERATORE (AQ) Height: 1260-2300 - 5 chair lifts; 5 downhill tracks + 4 of Monte Cristo; 20 Km track for cross-country Info: 0862/400011
Internet: http://www.ilgransasso.it/
Webcam: http://www.scuolasciassergigransasso.org/carispaq/neve01.jpg

Whet your appetite

Abruzzo - the yet to be discovered culinary gem of Italy.

You will be delighted as you use our luxury cottage as your base to visit Abruzzan vineyards and cantinas, observe family-owned olive oil manufacturers and cheese producers.

 

Each day you can discover the diversity and excellence of Abruzzo's unrivaled cuisine, enjoying wine-tastings and traditional dishes in first-class restaurants or at country farms, specialized in recipes with home-grown ingredients and genuine products. In addition to these culinary activities, you can also visit places of natural beauty, contemplate medieval architecture and works of art, see Abruzzo’s craftsmen practicing centuries-old arts like ceramic, lace, wrought iron and jewelry making.

The weather is pleasant and mild both in Spring and Fall, perfect seasons to travel in Italy.

And to make your visit an experience you'll treasure for years to come,we can arrange an escorted visit to a local winery, producing one of the best Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Learn about the wine-making process, from the vintage until the wine is stored, the ageing process etc. The wine-making process in Abruzzo has changed over time, but not to a considerable extent.

We can then arrange great sea food meal (antipasti, pasta with fish, fried and roasted fish, calamari and shrimps etc) at a typical restaurant on the golden wide sandy beaches of the Province. The beaches are just thirty minutes drive from our cottage in Vestea..

Vestea Information

Vestea is a historic hilltop village, hamlet really, that is five minutes walk from our Cottage in Abruzzo. The town is a small collection of ancient stone houses, churches and a few small bars in the beautifully named City of Civitella Casanova.

Civitella Casanova is a collection of small locations and hamlets just like Vestea, all huddled under the Gran Sasso mountains.

Casanova Civitella Information:

            Region                                  Abruzzo
            Province                               Pescara (PE)
            Zone                                    Southern Italy
            Population                            2,057 (M 1,042; F 1,015)
            Density (per square km):        64.7

            

Interesting Information
            Number of Families               796
            Housing Units                        1,158
            Population Name                   civitellesi
            Post Office Codes Zip Code    65010
            Phone Prefix                        (+39) 085
            Istat Code                            068014
            Belfiore Code                        C779
            Civitella Casanova City Hall
            Address: Corso Umberto I,
                        4 - 65010 Civitella Casanova - ITALY
            Phone Number: (+39) 085-845115; Fax: (+39) 085-8459958
            Mayor: Alessandro Lattocco

        Civitella Casanova Localities
        Vestea, Baffo, Centelle, Fazio, Madonna delle Grazie, Mirabello,
        Topanera, Fontebruna, Pettorano, San Giuseppe, Santanello, Pastini

Abruzzan Festivals

This is a partial list of local festivals, fairs and costumed events in Abruzzo. To verify the exact dates, please contact the local tourist board.

• Cocullo: Snake Handlers' Procession: a statue of the town's patron, St. Dominic, is carried through the town covered with live serpents (first Thursday in May).

• Courtesy of Rochelle De Baun

• Francavilla a Mare:Carnival Festivities (February).

• Città Sant'Angelo: Carnival Parade of Floats (February).

• San Valentino: Frittata Festival (Good Friday).

• Picciano: Traditional Befana Festival (January).

• Lanciano: Medieval Pageant and Horse Race (September).

• Cappelli Sul Tavo: Palio del Pupo Costumed Races (August).

• Villamagna: The Turks and St. Margerite Historical Re-enactment (July).

• Cepagatti: Historical Parade with Floats, Fireworks and Celebrations (August).

• Rivisondoli: Living Nativity Scene: hundreds of costumed figures re-enact the arrival of the Three Kings at the manger (January).

• Loreto Aprutino: Procession of the Ox: this beautifully costumed procession culminates when a sumptuously outfitted ox kneels before the statue of St. Zopito (Monday after Pentecost).

• Scanno: Bonfire Festival: enormous bonfires are lit on the surrounding hillsides to commemorate St. Martin (November).

• Traditional Wedding Ceremony: re-enactment of the unique local wedding customs (August).

• Popoli: Trout and Shrimp Festival (August).

• L'Aquila: Pope Celestino's Pardon Ceremonies (August).

• Good Friday Procession (sunset, Good Friday).

• Sulmona: La Madonna in Piazza: medieval folklore event culminating in a staged pageant (Easter Sunday).

• Fara Filiorum Petri: Farchie Festival: giant torches illuminate this festival for St. Anthony (January).

• Celano: Costumed Procession and Fireworks (late August).

• Cappelle Sultano: Palio of the Puppets: giant puppets form a procession through the town, then explode in a shower of fireworks (August).

• Rocca di Mezzo: Daffodil Festival: folklore dances, presentations and a parade of flowery floats to celebrate the arrival of spring (last Sunday in May).

• Plowing Festival: re-enactment of a 17th-century custom, culminating with a race to plow the most perfect furrow (last Saturday in August).

• Pacentro: Festival of the Madonna of Loreto, with a traditional bare-foot "gypsy race" (first Sunday of September).

• Bucchianico: Flower Festival: re-enactment of a 13th-century military stratagem that saved the town from destruction, with costumed parades, flower-bedecked carts and exquisite miniature flower floats worn on the local ladies' heads (third Sunday of May).

• Villa Santa Maria: Culinary Festival: world-famous chefs who hail from the region gather for a three-day demonstration of their skills, based on techniques and recipes that date back over centuries (October).