Near Norcia and Castelluccio, Agriturismo Le Sorgenti

It’s finally open again that winding road linking the medieval mountain town of Norcia to the tiny walled town of Castelluccio, perched like a quiet solemn sentinel over the Piano Grande – and both towns devastated in the October 30, 2016 earthquake.

[lcaption]The winding road from Norcia to Castelluccio, post-earthquake 2016[/lcaption]

Castelluccio is a wounded sentinel now.

[lcaption]Castelluccio, perched like a sentinel above the Piano Grande (before the October 30, 2016 earthquake):[/lcaption]

[lcaption]Castelluccio, post-earthquake:[/lcaption]

In late July, we headed there for a theatrical presentation in a pre-fab tent outside of the cordoned-off crumbled Castellluccio, sponsored by a cultural association of L’Aquila (earthquake-devastated in 2009): theater here again was a gesture indicating that Castelluccio would resurrect.

We stayed that night at the Agriturismo Le Sorgenti, a few kilometers outside of Norcia and with no earthquake damage – to that structure at least, but as owners Nicola and Fernanda lamented, “earthquake phobia” has anesthetized tourism in the area. We arrived just as day was giving up to night but even in the fading light, we could see the beauty all around.

[lcaption]Evening view from our room at Le Sorgenti[/lcaption]

We opened our door in the morning to mountain majesty in every direction.

Fernanda served us espresso and her homemade sweets in a vaulted room adjacent while we chatted with her husband, Nicola, about the frustrations of the absent tourism.

When Nicola heard that Pino worked in earthquake restoration, he asked Pino to advise him and his brother on immediate restoration needs for their adjacent agriturismo building – with a centuries-old stone-vaulted dining room and additional bedrooms – closed now due to seismic damage.
Pino – always ready to talk stone restoration – was happy to do so. We headed up to the building, where Pino indicated outside structural work to Nicola, then advised Nicola and his brother, Eugenio, on work needed to re-open this second building.

Centuries ago, that dining room had been a stall: a painted farm cart outside – once pulled by oxen – speaks of the agricultural past.
The family links to the land remain: Nicola and Eugenio raise cows and goats and work about 300 acres, cultivating organic farro, roveja beans, and barley.

Both buildings were part of the Cecconi family holdings, dating back to the early 15th-century. We enjoyed our stay in one of the buildings – the ancient home of shepherd who worked the Cecconi lands – and may other guests soon take in the the surrounding mountain majesty during a stay in the adjacent building of Agriturismo Le Sorgenti. Nicola and Eugenio, do let us know when all is restored.

[lcaption]Agriturismo Le Sorgenti[/lcaption]