A weekend of the Immaculate Conception and therefore, virtually, the start of the Christmas holidays in Fish themin Abruzzo. The hometown of Benedetto Crocethe heart of National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise (which celebrated a century of existence last year) is a fascinating village embraced by the mountains.
When we left, it was snowing heavily and the roads were turning white. The reason for our visit was this: Artparka project that since 2018 has brought an unprecedented work of art to the pristine and unique landscape of the National Park, together with Pulsee Electricity and Gas and with the support of the Municipality, presented the first edition of Pulsee Winter Lights. Artist’s illuminations. To transform the streets of Pescasseroli into a museum en plein air through site-specific light installations, a sort of crossroads between popular tradition and contemporary art experiments. The artist and designer signed them Marcantonioone of the most applauded art designers of his generation.
The lights are like many cells of a single organism
His project is titled Micro Macrosand as always in his research we witness a dialogue between man and the natural world. Each luminaria is imagined as a colored cell, an integral part of a single living organism. «I wanted to dedicate my installation to that biological element that unites us all, animals and plants, the smallest living unit: the cell – he explains – Our body is made up of cells in the same way that our society is made up of us individuals: my luminous microorganisms thus become the new inhabitants of the historic center of Pescasseroli, who enter and exit the buildings just like we do , transforming the streets of the city into a circulatory system.”
For his work, enriched by a soundscape taken from a 1976 ecological concept album by Mort Garson, Mother Earth’s Plantasia, Marcantonio opted for via Valle del Fiume, an ancient alley in the historic center. The result was warm, vivid and poetic: the light gave new life and brilliance to the houses and surrounding architecture and the local people crowded the inaugural event. And so Arteparco has chosen for the first time to bypass the summer season to transplant itself into the magic of the Christmas period, and strengthen its environmental and anthropological reflection by broadening its gaze to the architecture of the town and no longer just to the habitat of the Park, with its old beech trees recognized since 2017 UNESCO world heritage. The driving force behind the event, also in this case, was the pr Paris Vitalefounder of a well-known communication agency and former winner of Beijing Express together with his friend Victoria Cabello (and she was there too).
The Abruzzo Park
Established with royal decree in 1923, the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise is the oldest in Italy and one of the oldest in Europe. We are talking about one of the most important examples of flora and fauna conservation in the world. Valleys, forests, rivers, prairies, mountains, lakes and streams. And then the Pnalm (this is the acronym) is inhabited by extraordinary and rare animal species, primarily theMarsican bear and the Apennine chamois. If you are lucky, you may catch a fleeting glimpse of them. It’s easier to come across the footsteps of their recent passage. In the center of Pescasseroli, in operation since 1969, the Park Visitor Center it is an environmental information and education hub that illustrates the history, characteristics and activities of the Park. Inside there is a Naturalistic Museum, a Wildlife Park and an Apennine Garden.
Pescasseroli, the cinema village
The best-known and most dynamic center of the National Park, a quiet and refined place with its artisans’ shops, “gentle” stone buildings and its maze of narrow streets, Fish them (in the province of L’Aquila) stands on a rocky spur 1167 meters altitudeat the foot of Monte delle Vitelle (reachable by a ski lift). In winter, it is possible ski on the slopes of approximately 20 km and thanks to the connection with the Alto Sangro area. Cross-country skiing, mountaineering and snowshoeing: there is something for all tastes. And there is no shortage of ski schools and refuges, in the valley and at high altitude. D’summerhowever, what seduces tourists (including many foreigners) is its historical, cultural and natural heritage, and the possibility of being able to try their hand at various outdoor activities. A little Eden for lovers of excursions by mountain bike, on foot or on horseback. With an associated escape from the heat of the city and the plains.
Fish themespecially in recent decades, has been particularly frequented by world of cinema. Thanks, above all, to the great director Ettore Scolathe jewel in the crown of Italian comedy. In his villa on the outskirts of the centre, where the filmmaker and his family spent a good part of their holidays (and where he worked in peace with his collaborators on the making of the films), the elite of the Italian seventh art of the past passed through. From Vittorio Gassman to Marcello Mastroianni, from Marco Ferreri to Alberto Sordi, from Federico Fellini to Dino Risi. Lately, several scenes have been filmed in Pescasseroli “A world apart”directed by Riccardo Milani (also a regular in the village, together with his wife Paola Cortellesi), a blockbuster film of 2023 with Antonio Albanese and Virginia Raffaele. «The mountain does it».
How to reach Pescasseroli
By car (the best option). If you come from Rome you must take the A24/A25 Rome-Avezzano-Pescara motorway and follow it until the Pescina toll booth, from here continue on the SS83 and exit towards Pescasseroli. If instead you travel along the A1 Naples-Rome it is necessary to exit at Caianello and first take the SS85 to Venafro and then the SS83 to Alfedana up to the village of Opi and immediately after Pescasseroli.
By train (the most inconvenient solution). If you choose the train, use the Rome-Avezzano-Pescara line to Avezzano station from where you can take the bus to Pescasseroli. Alternatively, on the Naples-Castel di Sangro-Pescara line, get off at Castel di Sangro and continue by bus.
By plane. The closest airport is Pescara. Or you can fly to Rome airport and from there take the bus that connects Fiumicino to Pescasseroli.
Source: Vanity Fair
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