Sundays in the Storytelling Villages of Gran Sasso

An autumn of Sundays among the Gran Sasso villages

Sundays in the Storytelling Villages of Gran Sasso is an experiential tourism series that, every Sunday in autumn, invites you to discover two of the fifteen villages in the inland areas of the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. The initiative was born within the Paesi Narranti del Gran Sasso network and is promoted by the Il Bosso cooperative, in collaboration with the GAL Gran Sasso Velino, to tell the unfiltered story of a territory made of stone, silence, and community.

The Municipality of Castelvecchio Calvisio, one of the best-preserved villages on the Navelli Plateau with its spindle-shaped medieval layout, opens the event calendar in partnership with nearby Carapelle Calvisio. From here begins a slow journey that touches, Sunday after Sunday, some of the most evocative towns of the massif.

How the day unfolds

The format is designed for families, groups of friends, travelers, and residents who want to rediscover their own territory. The day follows a consistent schedule:

• Morning: orienteering activity through the streets of the first village, discovering squares, glimpses, and panoramas with the help of a map and compass.
• Aperitif: at the end of the morning, a tasting of local Gran Sasso specialties.
• Lunch break: free time for participants.
• Afternoon: guided tour in the second village, accompanied by a qualified guide and a local resident who acts as a keeper of the village's traditions and memories.

The villages of the network

The series involves the fifteen Storytelling Villages of the Gran Sasso: from Castelvecchio Calvisio and Carapelle Calvisio to Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi, Castel del Monte, Barisciano, Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Prata d'Ansidonia, Caporciano, Collepietro, San Benedetto in Perillis, Calascio with its Fortress, Capestrano, Ofena, San Pio delle Camere, and Navelli, home of saffron. A mosaic of history, gastronomy, and landscapes at the foot of the Gran Sasso.

Tourism that regenerates communities

More than just a simple visit, Sundays in the Storytelling Villages is a community project: it aims to enhance inland areas, combat depopulation, and give a voice back to those who guard traditions. Orienteering and walking tours become opportunities to read the territory with fresh eyes, while aperitifs with local products showcase the gastronomic identity of the Upper L'Aquila area.

Why participate

• Discover two authentic Gran Sasso villages in a single Sunday.
• Experience orienteering through medieval alleys and the landscapes of the Navelli Plateau.
• Taste typical products of the Abruzzo mountains.
• Listen to the stories of local tradition keepers.

A different and free way to experience the Abruzzo autumn, amidst walks, stories, and conviviality in the heart of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park.