sulmona Tag

Arcangelo’s Reasons to Visit Sulmona

In Sulmona

 

 

Sulmona is the jewel in the crown of the Valle Peligna, its rich mix of culinary, cultural, historical and artistic notes traverse time, making it a a wonderful base to explore Abruzzo.

Colourful sugar almoned confetti arrangements sit alongside side the town’s Roman aqueduct and all shades of  pretty rose custard and custard  baroque palazzos along the cobbled streets. This is Italy’s accepted home of sublime confetti and it is from here that Harry and Megan sourced their wedding favors.

A wealthy and opulent merchant city that had its own mint, its first gentrification came from the Romans who made it a ‘municipum’ and afterwards by Emperor Federick II in the Middle Ages who gave it the upgraded title of ‘giustizierato’, ‘the most important town of the region’.

Our local guide Arcangelo’s lists his favourite things to see, do and try if you’re visiting Sulmona and its neighbours over the year!  If you want an easy way to visit don’t forget to join one of our group or private tours over the summer

1. Confetti

For those with a sweet-tooth request a tour around any of Sulmona’s famous confetti factories. Enjoy tasting a sweet that is gluten free, these sugared almonds treats date back to the fifteeth century and were so popular that they even replaced flowers in local churches as a long lasting flower arrangements.

 

2. Sulmona Market

Take a visit on Wednesday and Saturday to Sulmona Market in airy Piazza Garabaldi at what is regarded as one of Abruzzo’s best markets. Local farming families continue to bring their delicious produce to sell alongside the best salami, cheeses, fishmongers and of course porchetta vans.

3. The Sulmona Red Garlic Fayre

Sulmona’s famous Red Garlic is considered by many chefs one of the best in Italy, and is so good that is has its own festival devoted to it. It is traditionally held the second weekend in July just outside the town in Campo de Fano. Each evening there is a heady mix of superb food stalls,street food, talks by cooks and some great local music. It continues to grow each year as one of the most important in the Valle Peligna area with about 1500 people attending each night!

4. The Running Madonna

After Easter Sunday Mass Sulmona’s most famous religious spectacle packs crowds into the Piazza Garibaldi. A statue of the Madonna is carried in full mourning clothes across the piazza, when at the fountains she sees a figure of the ‘risen’ Christ and throws off her cloak to reveal her green springtime clothes that denote new life. It’s very quick, beautiful with white doves that are released but explosive – at the end from the firecrackers are lit to celebrate. You can accompany the procession afterwards to S. Maria della Tomba.

 

 

5. Chains & Guarded Gates

Despite much of Sulmona being lost in 1706 through an earthquake and rebuilt, on street corners look out for the now token chains that were traditionally pulled across the streets at night to stop those on horseback attempting to leave after committing a crime. Imagine what riches these protected. Have a look at the 7 guarded gates whose cobbled arteries led off to Rome, Naples and other major cities. They were closed to protect the townsfollk from the threat of invaders whether criminal gangs or advancing armies.

 

6. San Gaetano Church

San Gaetano was built like many churches onto the sites of local tribes and Roman temples. Have a look at its mosaic floor that dates back to 1AD.

 

7. Christmas Eve – Stewed Eel

If you’re visiting Sulmona over Christmas do try the Sulmonese tradition of eating on Christmas Eve stewed eel in a rich tomato sauce as part of their Christmas Eve dinner. It’s regarded as a sign of good luck and utterly delicious if you get the chance do try it!

 

 

8. Abbazia di Santo Spirito Al Morrone

 

Just outside the town in Badia, the Abbazia was founded by Pope Celestine V when he was but a simple friar. It sits on the western slopes of the Morrone mountains and has an impressive monumental staircase, frescoes and an old pharmacy to look at. It frequently hosts art exhibitions so check what is on!

 

 

9. The Giostra

At the end of July head to Sulmona to watch the newly revived Giostra Cavalleresca of Sulmona. It has taken the city three centuries to perform once more the fabled jousts that took place, but this exciting historical event is unmissable. It combines a re-enactment parade through the city through to a horsemanship competition in Piazza Garibaldi.

 

10 Coffee Ovid

If you only have a brief stop in Sulmona, make sure you sit at the Grand Cafe for an espresso, in the shade of the statue of Ovid and contemplate history and what we have learnt!

 

Scarponi – Valle Peligna Christmas Cookies

In Recipes

Scarponi are the extremely easy to make traditional Christmas cookies of Sulmona and the Peligna Valley.  Their name translates as little boots and are rich, and naturally sweetened using Mosto Cotto, this is slowly cooked unfiltered grape juice that includes the must (skin and seeds) which gives a flavorsome alternative to sugar.

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Scarponi Christmas Cookies

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 40

Ingredients
  • 500 g Flour
  • 100 of Sugar
  • 200 ml Mosto Cotto,
  • 100 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 100 g Sugar
  • 100 g Dark Chocolate
  • 50 g Cocoa
  • 50 g Candied Peel
  • 100 g Sultanas,
  • 4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 160 g Walnuts
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Soak the sultanas in hot water.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a bain marie.
  3. Remove from the heat and mix in the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder oil and yeast.
  4. If the mixture is too hard increase the amount of Mosto Cotto and a little more flour if it is too soft.
  5. Squeeze the water from the sultanas, add in with the chopped almonds, walnuts cinnamon.
  6. Divide the dough into small piles and spoon onto a greased baking sheet. Make sure they have enough space between each other as they will expand
  7. Bake at 160 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Leave them in the baking pan to firm up until they cool otherwise they will crumble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing

Sulmonese Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing

In Recipes

We asked our partner chef in Italy, Claudio at what his favourite stuffing is and he came back with this Sulmonese sausage and chestnut stuffing recipe.  It’s a rich combination that suits both poultry and even pork itself and adds a natural sweetness is given to the meat through the use of chestnuts.  We particularly love the texture of this stuffing, rather than minced together this relies on crumbling and cubing!

 

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Sulmonese Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 6

A rich Sulmonese stuffing recipe that suits both poultry and even pork. We particularly love the texture of this stuffing, rather than minced together this relies on crumbling and cubing!
Ingredients
  • 1 boned turkey leg of about 2 kg
  • 200 g of sausage
  • 120 g of diced pork belly
  • 200 g of already boiled chestnuts
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 1 celery stalk
  • ½ l of stock
  • 150 ml of white wine
  • pepper, (little)
  • 4 tbps extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
Instructions
  1. Open the boned turkey leg, sprinkle the pepper, add the crumbled sausage, the pancetta and 100 g of chestnuts, also crumbled.
  2. Also put the two carrots, clean and whole, lengthwise. Roll the stuffed thigh, squeezing it very well, place the rosemary sprig and tie with the kitchen string.
  3. Put the oil in a saucepan, brown the onion and the celery into small pieces. Add the turkey roll and brown it on all sides for about 5 minutes.
  4. Soak with the white wine and keep on the heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile turn on the oven and bring it to a temperature of 170 C.
  5. Put the turkey in an oven dish, add the broth and cook for about 2 hours, turning it every half hour. Times can increase if we have a conventional and non-ventilated oven, so check the cooking well !!
  6. At the end of cooking we remove the brown bottom that has been created in the pan and add it to the liquid and to the sauté that we had left aside in the first phase of cooking in the pan. We also add the remaining chestnuts (100 gr) remaining and boil for about 10 minutes to create a sauce to put on the turkey. If we want a thicker sauce we can add 1-2 teaspoons of potato starch or corn starch (dissolved separately with a little broth and then poured into the pot to thicken the sauce).
  7. Let the turkey cool, remove the string, cut it into slices at least 2 cm high and serve it on the plate with a nice spoonful of sauce with chestnuts accompanied by baked potatoes and sauteed vegetables.

 

 

 

 

 

Sulmona apple cake

Alice’s Sulmonese Apple & Cinnamon Cake

In Recipes

Alice’s moist apple cinnamon cake pays homage to Sulmona’s love affair with this delectable spice.  It has a long history with the town so famously known for its confetti, the Romans added cinnamon oil to their wines and baths and the monks of the city added it to their digestifs and preserving syrups.  Today it is more commonly known through the delicate cannellini, the long and skinny confetti filled with cinnamon that the poet Giacaomo Leopardi adored to his downfall.

Alice uses dessert apples rather than cooking apples to cut down on the amount of cane sugar added to the cake which gives it a sweet but gentle spiced flavour instead, and recommend Russet apples just like they would see in the Autumn market at Sulmona. To see you you throughthe winter have a slice or two each week or you can hold out and enjoy it as part of the breakfast Alice prepares on our food, wine and cooking adventures.

Russet Apples

 

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Alice's Sulmona Apple & Cinnamon Cake

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Alice’s moist apple cinnamon cake pays homage to Sulmona’s love affair with this delectable spice
Ingredients
  • 4 Dessert Apples
  • 200 ml Milk
  • 300 g 00 Flour
  • 200 g Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 100 g Butter
  • Grated zest from 1 Lemon
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1.5 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • Pinch of Salt
Instructions
  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 180C/ 350ºF. Meanwhile, coat an 8-inch round cake pan with butter, then line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
  2. Peel,core and dice 3 apples. Arrange half on the paper.
  3. Melt butter and sugar together in a saucepan.
  4. Sieve flour, baking powder, fine salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.
  5. Whisk 2 eggs and milk in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and sugar and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture slowly and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Add the remaining apples and fold in till combined.
  6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before carefully removing from pan (loosen the sides by running a thin knife around the edge if needed first). Dust with icing sugar and serve.

 

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