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Pratola Peligna The town of Pratola Peligna, which celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 1997, lies in the Peligna Valley at the base of Mont Morrone, in the province of L'Aquila. Pratola, as it is called, is less than a 2 hour drive east of Rome on the autostrada and is 3/4 of an hour's drive from Pescara, an Adriatic seaside city. Pratola's population is approximately 9,000 and although the town is growing and modernizing on the outskirts, the heart of the old town in many ways remains unchanged. Take a walk through its narrow, winding and hilly streets to explore and enjoy its piazzas, nooks and crannies and hidden treasures. Your strolls will take you by wonderful delicatessens with their gourmet foods, homemade pasta shops, gelato cafés and an interesting mix of smart little shops. If at first you don't discover them it may be lunch time and the shops all traditionally shut down for at least 2-3 hours. (There is also a full service supermarket less than 10 minutes away by car.) Friday is market day in Pratola and an excellent time to pick up not only local produce but perhaps choose a new pair of the latest style Italian shoes, a cozy pair of pj's or even an espresso pot to take home. The town has two very good restaurants, Moretto and El Carro, as well as two or three pizzerias where you can get take-out. If you want to take a short drive out of town we can recommend L'Osteria della Gazza Ladra on the road to Roccacasale or a very popular pizzeria in Prezza called "L' 800". A typical evening's entertainment may include a stroll up through the town to the Piazza Garibaldi where the local men gather to play cards and exchange the day's "news". Of course the stroll is not complete without a stop for a gelato or a sip of grappa at any one of the small cafés. Our favourite is the Cheers Bar up in the town, behind the big church. And one final note: you may be the only tourists in town during your stay. So you'll have plenty of chance to practice your Italian! If you'd like to read more about the history of the town, we recommend the following writings (in English) by Sestino Casasanta. Click on the titles to read the full texts.
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