The pass and village of Gioia Vecchio (AQ)

Abruzzo, a region rich in natural and artistic beauty, all too often hands us some small disappointment. Such is the case of the Valico di Gioia Vecchio, an enchanted place suspended on a wonderful balcony overlooking the Vallemora and right opposite Monte Turchio.

The pass, which lies at around 1400 m above sea level, is a place immersed in almost unspoilt nature, sparsely inhabited and extremely lush.

For those heading to Pescasseroli (coming from Avezzano), going over the pass is almost compulsory.

The beautiful church of San Vincenzo di Gioia Vecchio (late sixteenth century), still well kept but closed to the public, never fails to amaze.

The little village is completely empty; a stone at the foot of the church seems to mock human affairs with bitter irony: “Where the Church Rises Again the Village is Reborn”.

The inn is closed; some builders are wandering about, moving sacks of lime, a few tools; it is not at all clear what on earth they are restoring or repairing.

It wrings your heart to see little villages like Gioia Vecchio or like Marisa fade into nothing as if they had no history.

And yet the pass lives off a fortunate strategic position. The compulsory transit towards Pescasseroli is a passage that nobody exploits at all. We find no bar, no petrol station, not even a hut where you could eat a humble grilled sausage while drinking a good tankard of beer or a good glass of wine.

Near the church there are a few picnic tables, some tourists have stopped to sunbathe, but it is only passing life. The village has the air of being completely left to its own devices. It is an emblematic case, and there are far too many like it in the Apennines.

The only event to be admired for its commitment and interest is the summer theatre season organised by the Teatro di Gioia dei Marsi (www.teatrodigioia.it). During the summer months the Teatro Gioia (run by Dacia Maraini) puts on shows in the beautiful setting of the village.

If on the one hand we think that the mountains of the Apennines are a common good to be protected from excessive human pressure, on the other hand we would like to imagine a world no longer made of such strong imbalances, where a wonderful little village like Gioia Vecchio is lost only for cold reasons of economic convenience. Places like Gioia Vecchio must be protected as a common good.

Just beyond Pescasseroli, another village worth discovering is Opi dell'Alto Sangro.