The 'painted villages' of Abruzzo

It is enough to travel a few kilometres from the coast to discover authentic treasures: small villages that preserve ancient architecture, immersed in a natural setting of great beauty, offer visitors the unexpected spectacle of alleyways and walls frescoed in bright colours.

They are almost always subjects linked to the culture of the village, paintings immortalising ancient trades, childhood games, pictures of village life. Thus, on the walls of the houses runs the history of a fading civilisation, the loving memory of customs and characters, a memory in images that accompanies the visitor as he walks down alleys and through small squares.

The works are due to the contribution of artists who meet in these hamlets at different intervals, adding new frescoes at each appointment.

There is for example Casoli di Atri, in the province of Teramo. Here, since 1996, various artists have been painting the walls, creating works that perfectly match the environment in which they take life.

In Azzinano di Tossiccia, there is a painting in every house and the small historic centre is covered with naïf-style murals dedicated to the theme 'The Games of Childhood'.

Moving on to the province of Pescara, it is worth mentioning Cepagatti, where almost every house has been frescoed by the painter Mira Cancelli Falasca, also with the help of her pupils.
Since 2000, a number of local artists have been decorating the walls of Treglio, a mediaeval village in the province of Chieti, making a visit to a village already rich in history even more interesting, revealing suggestive corners of art.

Finally, there is Castel del Monte, where frescoes combine with mosaics to narrate traditions of daily life and stories of magic on the walls.