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93 km - Altitude gain 3100mt

Stage 06

Orsogna -

Blockhaus

Sunday 15  May 2022 93km Altitude gain 3100mt
Stage suitable for: 5

Withdrawals: 0

Ordine di arrivo
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ORSOGNA

Touristic information

Orsogna is a town in Central Italy, located in the Abruzzo region, in the province of Chieti. It is located on a hill, 432 meters above sea level, a few kilometers from the Majella National Park – whose mountains dominate the landscape with their beauty and majesty – and 20 kilometers from the Adriatic coast.

Its inhabitants are called the Orsognesi. The municipality covers 25.3 km² and has 3 799 inhabitants since the last population census. The population density is 150.4 inhabitants per km² on the Municipality.In the vicinity of the municipalities of Filetto, Arielli i Guardiagrele, Orsogna is located 9 km south-west of Lanciano, the largest city nearby. Located at 430 meters above sea level, the municipality of Orsogna has the following geographical coordinates 42° 13′ 12” North, 14° 16′ 48” East. The town develops around the Parish Church of San Nicola di Bari, dating back to the eighteenth century, which also preserves two ancient procession crosses by the artist and goldsmith Nicola da Guardiagrele.

Orsogna is surrounded by nature, which colors its streets green and surrounds it with vineyards and olive groves. The Municipality is a member of the Città del Vino association.

On March 26, 2003 the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi awarded the Municipality of Orsogna the Silver Medal for Civil Merit.

Gastronomy

At the table with the families of Orsognesi and in the restaurants and farmhouses of the place it is possible to taste the exquisite dishes of the peasant tradition, watering them with local wine.

It is impossible to synthesize the richness of the flavors, from the pasta alla chitarra “carrata” at home to the “pallotte casce e ove”, from “pizz’ e ffuje” (focaccia of corn flour and vegetables) to the “pizz’ di randigne” (corn), from the “ciammaiche al sugo” (the snails) to the “cif e ciaf” made with the pork cheek in chunks, ending with the desserts:  potato crispelle, the Easter Pupa in almond paste, “li ciaunelle” (fried donuts without a hole), Christmas taralli, pizzelle.

The Orsogna Winery, located in the homonymous city in the province of Chieti, is a biological and biodynamic reality deeply rooted in the Abruzzo territory. The company stands out in the Italian wine scene not only for the commitment and passion it puts into creating its wines, but also for the attention to the environment. In fact, it has always been committed to the management of its vineyards with agricultural practices that safeguard the quality of the environment, in the belief that a quality wine can only be born from a quality soil. This certification rewards the commitment of a group of pioneer farmers at an international level of organic and biodynamic, firmly convinced that respect for the environment, its times and its rules is an essential part in the cultivation of vines to create “powerful and elegant wines, rich in savory strength and unique in character, without giving in to fashions … wines that are strongly distinguishable from others”. 

The ampelographic base of the vineyards consists of Montepulciano for about 30% and the remaining part from Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Sangiovese, Malvasia, Chardonnay and Moscato, in addition to the native vines Passerina, Cococciola and Pecorino.Oggi produces about 1,500,000 bottles a year, with important growth margins. 70% of the production is exported to 30 countries in the world including the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan and China. The first reference market is Germany, followed by the United States and the Scandinavian Peninsula.

BLOCKHAUS

Touristic Information

Pretoro, like a lovely crib, is perched on the northeastern slopes of Maiella with a unique appearance, thanks to its stone houses huddled against each other so that they seem “perched” on the steep side of the mountain. Because of its medieval origins, the ancient town centre is characterized by narrow alleys which stop to make way to the suggestive and typical small squares, and by steep stairs that climb up to the highest point of the small village, that is the “Castle”, which offers a wonderful panorama over the surrounding area. Pretoro has kept a typical medieval urban structure, clustered around its highest point where once stood the castle (but nowadays little of it has remained) and radially following the contour lines and steep shape of the rocky terrain. This small village, at around 600 metres above sea level, still preserves all its charm and deserves to be visited slowly, street by street, staircase to staircase, with its romantic and sometimes decadent views, which makes it one of the most evocative places in Abruzzo.

Gastronomy

Among the first courses we can count the “p’ttolozz’” (diamond-shaped pasta made of flour and water) with sauce, once made with a mixture of white flour, cereals and spelt, and the “pasta alla chitarra” of Abruzzo, filaments obtained with a special tool, “lu maccarunar” which is used to give the fresh pasta a square cut and a porous texture that fits well with souce. The “maccarunar” are still built and used in Pretoro.The grilled lamb stands among the second courses. Typical of this dish is the cooking system: in fact, the firewood to cook the meat must be a mixture of wood, from the fir resinous, to the beech free of impurities, to the hornbeam fragrant and to finish branches of Juniper odorous. The salting and the scent must be done with aromatic herbs such as thyme, rosemary, mint, black pepper, red juniper and violet. These are the secrets of an excellent preparation of the pretorese lamb. Other dishes are the “coratella” of lamb and the “turcinelli”, made with the guts of the pig and stuffed with sweetbreads and chili. Among the vegetables we can mention the “ciabbotta”, set of vegetables to be served on slices of homemade bread, and the “pizz’ and foij”, stewed vegetables served with smoked sardine and the “pizza di randinie”, unleavened pizza made with corn flour. Traditionally the “pizza di randinie” is cooked directly on the floor of the fireplace, covered by the “coppo” (a metal lid on which the coal rests), but it will also be very good prepared in the oven or directly in the pan.

Torta del Lupo di Pretoro is a cake made with black chocolate, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine, rum and gianduia. It is a dessert dedicated to Pretoro, a small town of about 850 inhabitants perched on the slopes of the Maiella. Definitely greedy cake, it has a paste generously soaked in rum and an adequate filling of gianduia chocolate.

 

La Torta del Lupo…di Pretoro è un dolce a base di cioccolato nero, vino rosso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo e Gianduia. Dolce dedicato a Pretoro, piccolo paese di 850 abitanti circa abbarbicato alle pendici della Maiella. Torta decisamente golosa, ha una pasta generosamente imbevuta di rum ed una adeguata farcitura di cioccolato gianduia.     

Beverages

The nose recalls the typical scent of the Pecorino grape, and in the mounth it shows the slight acidity always characteristic of the grape, but well balanced with delicate and very fruity hops, a straw yellow colour, compact and persistent white foam.

This beer is dedicated to the people of Abruzzo. To its landscapes and its products. A new line called “The table of the Brigands”

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