ALONG THE SHEPERDS’ TRACKSJULY 11TH & 12TH 2015

Information and Reservations:Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342 E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it

CAMPO IMPERATORESANTO STEFANO DI SESSANIOROCCA CALASCIO

CASTEL DEL MONTECASTELVECCHIO CALVISIO

SATURDAY JULY 11TH

7:30 Meeting at Piazzale Ostiense (next to Acea building)7:45 Bus leaves Approx.10:00 Arrival to Campo Imperatore and naturalist’s walk13:30 Transfer to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, lunch at Residenza “Il Palazzo” After lunch visit to the village and free time.17:00 Transfer to Rocca Calascio and check in at Rifugio della Rocca (or other accomodation as per reservation)Ore 20 Dinner Ore 23 Star gazing and astronomical obsrvation under the guidance of astronomer Stefano Giovanardi

Campo Imperatore A natural environment of incredible beauty that, for its vastity, has been nicknamed Italy’s “little Tibet”. An high plateau with free ranging sheep flocks, cow herds and (almost) wild horses where we will observe vegetation typical of the “steppe”. Santo Stefano di Sessanio The village of “Sextantio” is considered amongst the most beautiful in Abruzzo, if not Italy, as it remained unspoiled and has been recently carefully rehabilitated.Strolling along its alleys and squares we will discover its rich heritage, from the steps of S. Maria in Ruvo church (XIII-XIV century) to the “Medici” Tower to the long underpass created to better cope with the harsh winter, from the Captain’s House to the

church of S. Stefano Protomartire (XIV e XV century)Rocca Calascio Small village at an altidude of 1460 meters, dominated by the ruins of an imposing castle. This rock, historically documented since 1380 but probably dating back to around year 1000, keeps its watch on the Tirino Valley and the Navelli Valley.Completely abandoned until the late ‘70s it has been gradually restored and returned to life.

Information and Reservations:Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342 E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it

WHAT WE WILL SEE

Santo Stefano di SessanioCampo Imperatore

STAR GAZING Thanks to the absence of “light pollution” we will be in the best possible conditions to observe stars and planets.We will do it with our “naked eye” and with the aid of a professional telescope, under the guidance of astronomer Stefano Giovanardi.We will se Saturn and its ring, several nebulas and star clusters in the Milky Way, Andromeda and much more.In case of bad/cloudy weather we will hear Stefano in a fascinating multimedia presentation

Informazioni e prenotazioni:Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma Tel. 06-36005281 - Fax 06-36005342 E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it

STARRYNIGHT

Photo: Courtesy of Bureau of Land Managementhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

SUNDAY JULY 12TH

10:00 with no hurry, in order to recover from the late night spent watching the stars, after breakfast we leave to Castel del Monte and visit the village, and the different houses that host the “diffused museum” of “material civilization”12:30 Visit to a sheep farm and cheese laboratory . Cheese tasting and “reinforced brunch”14:30 Departure to Rome with quick visit to Castelvecchio Calvisio and, time permitting, the site of the old roman city of Peltuinum19:00 Arrival to Rome (Piazzale Ostiense).

Castel del Monte. The village traces its roots back to settlements dating to the XIth century b.c.,and a later roman “pagus”. Fortified during the Middle Age, the “borgo” has been for centuries the “capital” of sheep breeding and “transhumance”.

Castelvecchio Calvisio: Quick stop to visit this village, rebuilt after being distroyed in 1424 by Braccio da Montone.It presents an interesting “orthogonal” urban layout enclosed within elliptical walls.

Peltuinum: Peltuinum is the name of an old roman city, from the age of

Augustus, situated near present day Prata d'Ansidonia. It lays along the Claudia Nova road, here parallel to the old “tratturo”, the greenway used for seasonal migration of herds from Abruzzi to Puglia. We will see the ruins of a theater, traces of a temple and of the western gate. The roman city survived until the Vth century but some residents are documented until 1600.

Information and Reservations:Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342 E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it

I LUOGHI CHE VISITEREMO

Castelvecchio Calvisio Peltuinum

Information and Reservations:Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342 E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it

PARTICIPATION FEEAdult, double occupancy: € 230,00 Kids/teen in bunk bed room € 180,00Family Special: To be agreed

THE FEE DOES NOT INCLUDEa) personal extras;b) residence tax, if applicable;c) anything not specifically included under “the fee includes”

THE FEE INCLUDESa) Coach from and to Rome, as per program;b) lodging at “Rifugio la Rocca (Rocca Calascio) or equivalent structure in the areac) Lunch at Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Residenza il Palazzo) and Dinner in Rocca Calascio (Rifugio la Rocca)d) Chese tasting and “reinforced brunch” at the cheese lab in Castel del Montee) Guide service.f) “lecture” and guidance from astronomer Stefano Giovanardi during night sky observation

Rocca Calascio

• This excursion does not present difficulties but requires reasonably long walks on rocky trails, cobbles, stairs and obstacles. In particular on the first day, the walk, while a leasurely pace, will be 4,5 km (from Racollo to the ruins of Santa Maria del Monte and back)

• Confortable shoes and clothes are recommended

• We remind that, even in the summer, mountain temperatures are 5-8 degrees lower than those in Rom.

• For the night activity outdoor, watching stars, we recommend a heavy “pile” or a jacket.

• The program may be subject to changes in case of bad weather. In case of cloudy

sky the star observation will be replaced by a lecture and multimedia presentation.

• Please inform of any specific dietary requirement (allergies, vegeterian, other)

The excursion will take place, at the stated

conditions, upor reaching 25 participants.

In case such number is not reached, we will evaluate

with participants possible changes in the program and/

or conditions to avoid cancellation.

Reservations are on a first come first served basis.

NOTES

Information and Reservations:Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342 E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it

Canestrato cheese from Castel del Monte