Valle San Giovanni

Panorama of Valle San Giovanni

Valle San Giovanni is a small village about 8 km (5 miles) from the provincial city capital of Teramo in Italy's Abruzzo Region.

Get in

By plane

• Pescara Airport "Pasquale Lanzi", via Tiburtina (tel. +39 085

By car

• Take the road from Teramo to Montorio al Vomano. About 6½ km (4 miles) down the road you will see the signs for Valle San Giovanni. Travazzano is about 1 km along this road.

See

• The ruins of San Giovanni in Pergulis, an ancient church and convent. It is located on the road that leads to Valle Soprana

Varano

• Varano is a small village of just a few houses. It is a frazione (suburb) of Teramo. Visit the ruins of the old mill (mulino), still owned by the Di Battista family, and the small church dedicated to San Pietro, built in 1929. The previous church was built on a rock where there now stands the water fountain and the lavabo. The village is about 11 km from Teramo and about 2 km from Valle San Giovanni. It can be a bit confusing to make your way here as there is another small town on opposite side of Teramo which is also called Varano. The locals often differentiate them by referring to them as Varano Valle San Giovanni and Varano Nepezzano. Nine houses make up this village: two are permanently occupied by ten members of Di Benedetto family. The other eight have been repaired and are used mostly as country houses and summer retreats. Before the townspeople began emigrating in the early part of the 1900s, Varano had a population of close to 100 residents. Some of the emigrees went to the United States, South America (mostly Argentina or Venezuela) or to be miners in Belgium. The majority, however, made their way to Canada.
• Travazzano is a small village located about 8 km (5 miles) from the provincial city capital of Teramo. The medieval church, Santa Maria di Ponte a Porto, is on the left bank of the Tordino river. Don't miss the 15th-century fresco depicting the Madonna along with Saints Sebastian and Rocco.

Do

• Madonna della Neve (Our Lady of the Snow) A major religious festival which takes place the first weekend in August and celebrates an August snowfall marking the location of the present church in the town center.
• Talk to some of the people from this town and many will tell you about their relatives who emigrated to Canada (mostly to Montreal), Venezuela, and the United States (many to Penns Grove in the state of New Jersey). Varano

Buy

• Something from Leonardo's hardware or Paolo's general or Irma's fruit store.
• 1 Oleificio Alto Tordino, Travazzano, ☏ +39 0861 328768. Olive oil 

Eat & drink

Only one bar in the town. It is called Bar Novanta and is run by Francesca Marini. Not much to eat though. You will have to go to Teramo or to Fabiocchi, an agriturismo located in Frondarola located 3 km to the east.

The local wine production has decreased significantly. It has become increasingly difficult to locate and hire workers to perform the labor-intensive task of caring for a vineyard. In addition, many of the younger residents who do make their own wine find it a good deal easier to buy the needed grape juice from large producers.

Sleep

You can find places to stay in Abruzzo.

Go next

• Visit the archeological museum in Teramo, the fortress in Civitella del Tronto, the ceramics center of Castelli, the religious mecca of San Gabriele, the Gran Sasso (the highest peak in the Apennine Mountain Range), or the nearby beach town of Giulianova. All are within a short drive.