Villavallelonga Ostelli

My husband and I visited Villa in June 2005 and we had a great time. My family is from Villa. We enjoyed the fun time we had with our relatives and friends. The weather and scenery was beautiful. The fresh pizza and bread was delicious. What a beautiful "paese" to visit overlooking the great Mountain of Abruzzi. If you get a chance go visit it and enjoy the delicious gelato and cappuccino. I have been there four times now and my husband wants to go back. A truly amazing vacation which will never be forgotten. — Marisa and Steve Santek (Ferrari)

I remember visiting Villa in my youthful days. The people, the town, and the heritage are astonishing. Villa is a very peaceful place, although you have no privacy-- in Villa it's just like Cheers "where everybody knows your name." The Festas in Villa are second to none. If you enjoy the outdoors, animals, conversation, hiking, picnics, and of course dancing, and old italian style folk music then "LA VILLA" is definitely a journey you want to embark on. Enjoy your stay in Villa and plese dont judge a book by its cover! — Cindy Coccia-Pineda

My father is from Villa and I've only been there once but I will never forget it, it was amazing! It was also kind of crazy about how fast news travels around. Wherever I was I didn't know who the people were, but they seemed to know who I was everyone was... all "you're Cesidio's gradaughter from Canada." I will never forget Villa and I will most certainly go back very soon!! — Loreta Lippa

I had the pleasure of staying in Villavellalonga in 1987 and 1989 with my wife Maria-Rosaria, who's mother was born in the town (Berenice Bianchi). Villavellalonga is one of the nicest towns I have ever visited. The scenery is breathtaking and the township so beautiful with the old buildings and cobble roads. As a fine art photographer I spent hours photographing the township and people. I was even fortunate enough to capture the entire festival of St. Antonio Abate, and the "Favata". I have some wonderful black and white photographs of the festival at home. The photos have also been exhibited in Melbourne (Australia). The wonderful thing about photographing is that I met so many residents of the town. They were so friendly and all inviting me into their homes for food, coffee, and a good chat. This was such a wonderful way to learn about the town and people. Maria and I do plan on going back and visiting all our friends and relatives. Villavallelonga is a town I recommend all to visit - it is often in these small towns that you learn so much about wonderful culture. — Dominic Romeo - Mt. Macedon, Australia

We visited Villa October 2003 on a genealogy search to look for and meet Sharon's relatives. We found them... ALL of them! What an absolutely wonderful, beautiful, and fulfilling experience! Villa is so very breathtaking... you cannot imagine a more beautiful place. The people are very friendly. Although we did get "stares" from a lot of the older people while we were walking throughout Villa, once word got around that we were looking for relatives (and believe me, word got around very fast... Villa has about 1,000 inhabitants!) everyone was very helpful and gave us lots of advice and tips. If anyone is thinking about going, don't think... GO! We stayed at La Gardenia Hotel, which was opened up just for us because it was closed for the season. Nadalia (the owner) went out of her way to cook us dinner each evening and could not do enough for us. It was truly an amazing and very memorable experience. We have over 500 pictures of Villa, relatives, the National Forest, the surrounding area. To wake up each morning in this small town in a valley and surrounded by mountains and hear the rooster &and church bells and breathe the fresh, clean air is an experience in itself. Walking around town you smell the freshly baked bread. It is just too beautiful for words to describe! — Ben & Sharon Pacheco

A beautiful town at the end of the road in a valley bordering on Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo. Many people from Rome come in summer to R&R. — Anthony Amoroso