In a small and remote village called Villalago, located in the heart of the mountainous Abruzzo region of Italy, is where my story begins.  Geographically close to the centre of the country, basically dividing the North from the South, Abruzzo is considered by the Italian government to be a Southern province.  The name “Abruzzo” is thought to be derived from many different historical events, but the most popular is an etymology stemming from Roman days depicting people of Bruttiis.  “A Bruttiis”, (Of the Bruttiis), a term meaning the land that began from the Bruzzi people, who eventually moved South to occupy Calabria.

There are 20 regions that make up the whole of Italy.  Some are prized for their beauty, some are legendary and noted in history, and some, although not as popular to foreign tourists, are secretly revered by the Italians themselves.  Then, there is Abruzzo.  Described by several modern-day European tourist guide books as:  “One of the poorest, and least visited regions in the country.” and, “Arid, and sunscorched… Prone to frequent earthquakes… The Abruzzo is impoverished, and visually stark.  It is a region of little interest to see, and even less to do.”

The more historic review of our Region shows that not much has changed over the centuries.  Nathaniel Hawthorne, in the 19th century wrote:  “The Region is without enough of life and juciness to be any longer suceptible of decay.  An earthquake would afford it the only chance of ruin, beyond it’s present ruin.”  In 1879, English poet Swinburne tried penetrating the mountainous fortress of The Abruzzo, and was faced with “As outrageous a blast of snow as any I’d ever seen.”

Although some don’t realize the underlying beauty of our Region, many do.  The people of Abruzzo are considered “Mountain People”, and are friendly, and hold heritage, and family very close to heart.  The very motto reveals the way they live “Strong and Gentle”.  Author Tim Jepson wrote:  “This is still a land that could provide settings for a dozen fairy tales, with it’s wolves, and bears, and sturdy country folk….Villages on snow dusted hills are weathered in mist amid the wild mountains, deep valleys, and dark forests; and, ancient are crafts practiced for their own uses only, not for those of tourists.”

Villalago would be one of those “Villages on snow dusted hills”.  Literally, the Village of the Lakes, Villalago is the smaller of the “Twin Towns”, only separated from the Village of Scanno by Lake Scanno.  The nearest settlement from here is a minutely populated town to the north called Frattura.  Nearly 3,500 feet above sea level, and with a population of about 619, it could be considered “desolate”.  The next “densley populated” city, is more than 40km away would be Avezzano, with a population of 38,000 people.  The capital city of the province of L’Aquila, one of the four provinces that make up the region of Abuzzo is called L’Aquila City and has a population of 69,000, and is more than 100km away.

Needless to say we came from a reasonably desolate part of a very populated country, and these are some of the reasons why the Andrea Doria comes into our story.