Want to get out of Rome summer heat and discover a mountain gem of under 2 hour away. An amazing guided trip to Campo Imperatore, Italy's "Little Tibet", rich in history and natural beauty. In the clear mountain sky we will observe the stars under the professional guidance of an astronomer. Please call or write to make the reservation

1. ALONG THE SHEPERDS’
TRACKS
JULY 11TH & 12TH 2015
Information and Reservations:
Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma
Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342
E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it
CAMPO
IMPERATORE
SANTO
STEFANO DI
SESSANIO
ROCCA
CALASCIO
CASTEL DEL
MONTE
CASTELVECCHIO
CALVISIO

2. SATURDAY JULY
11TH
7:30 Meeting at Piazzale Ostiense
(next to Acea building)
7:45 Bus leaves
Approx.10:00 Arrival to Campo
Imperatore and naturalist’s walk
13:30 Transfer to Santo Stefano
di Sessanio, lunch at Residenza “Il
Palazzo” After lunch visit to the
village and free time.
17:00 Transfer to Rocca Calascio
and check in at Rifugio della
Rocca (or other accomodation as
per reservation)
Ore 20 Dinner
Ore 23 Star gazing and
astronomical obsrvation under
the guidance of astronomer
Stefano Giovanardi
Campo Imperatore
A natural environment of
incredible beauty that, for its
vastity, has been nicknamed
Italy’s “little Tibet”. An high
plateau with free ranging sheep
flocks, cow herds and (almost)
wild horses where we will observe
vegetation typical of the “steppe”.
Santo Stefano di Sessanio
The village of “Sextantio” is
considered amongst the most
beautiful in Abruzzo, if not Italy,
as it remained unspoiled and has
been recently carefully
rehabilitated.
Strolling along its alleys and
squares we will discover its rich
heritage, from the steps of S.
Maria in Ruvo church (XIII-XIV
century) to the “Medici” Tower to
the long underpass created to
better cope with the harsh winter,
from the Captain’s House to the
church of S. Stefano Protomartire
(XIV e XV century)
Rocca Calascio
Small village at an altidude of
1460 meters, dominated by the
ruins of an imposing castle. This
rock, historically documented
since 1380 but probably dating
back to around year 1000, keeps
its watch on the Tirino Valley and
the Navelli Valley.
Completely abandoned until the
late ‘70s it has been gradually
restored and returned to life.
Information and Reservations:
Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma
Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342
E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it
WHAT WE WILL SEE
Santo Stefano di SessanioCampo Imperatore

3. STAR GAZING
Thanks to the absence of “light pollution” we will be in
the best possible conditions to observe stars and
planets.
We will do it with our “naked eye” and with the aid of a
professional telescope, under the guidance of
astronomer Stefano Giovanardi.
We will se Saturn and its ring, several nebulas and star
clusters in the Milky Way, Andromeda and much more.
In case of bad/cloudy weather we will hear Stefano in a
fascinating multimedia presentation
Informazioni e prenotazioni:
Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma
Tel. 06-36005281 - Fax 06-36005342
E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it
STARRY
NIGHT
Photo: Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

4. SUNDAY JULY 12TH
10:00 with no hurry, in order to
recover from the late night spent
watching the stars, after breakfast
we leave to Castel del Monte and
visit the village, and the different
houses that host the “diffused
museum” of “material civilization”
12:30 Visit to a sheep farm and
cheese laboratory . Cheese tasting
and “reinforced brunch”
14:30 Departure to Rome with
quick visit to Castelvecchio Calvisio
and, time permitting, the site of the
old roman city of Peltuinum
19:00 Arrival to Rome (Piazzale
Ostiense).
Castel del Monte.
The village traces its roots back to
settlements dating to the XIth
century b.c.,and a later roman
“pagus”. Fortified during the Middle
Age, the “borgo” has been for
centuries the “capital” of sheep
breeding and “transhumance”.
Castelvecchio Calvisio:
Quick stop to visit this village,
rebuilt after being distroyed in
1424 by Braccio da Montone.
It presents an interesting
“orthogonal” urban layout enclosed
within elliptical walls.
Peltuinum:
Peltuinum is the name of an old
roman city, from the age of
Augustus, situated near present
day Prata d'Ansidonia. It lays along
the Claudia Nova road, here
parallel to the old “tratturo”, the
greenway used for seasonal
migration of herds from Abruzzi to
Puglia. We will see the ruins of a
theater, traces of a temple and of
the western gate. The roman city
survived until the Vth century but
some residents are documented
until 1600.
Information and Reservations:
Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma
Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342
E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it
I LUOGHI CHE VISITEREMO
Castelvecchio Calvisio Peltuinum

5. Information and Reservations:
Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma
Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342
E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it
PARTICIPATION FEE
Adult, double occupancy:
€ 230,00
Kids/teen in bunk bed room
€ 180,00
Family Special:
To be agreed
THE FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE
a) personal extras;
b) residence tax, if applicable;
c) anything not specifically included under “the fee
includes”
THE FEE INCLUDES
a) Coach from and to Rome, as per program;
b) lodging at “Rifugio la Rocca (Rocca Calascio) or
equivalent structure in the area
c) Lunch at Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Residenza il
Palazzo) and Dinner in Rocca Calascio (Rifugio la
Rocca)
d) Chese tasting and “reinforced brunch” at the
cheese lab in Castel del Monte
e) Guide service.
f) “lecture” and guidance from astronomer Stefano
Giovanardi during night sky observation
Rocca Calascio

6. • This excursion does not
present difficulties but
requires reasonably long
walks on rocky trails,
cobbles, stairs and
obstacles. In particular on
the first day, the walk, while
a leasurely pace, will be 4,5
km (from Racollo to the
ruins of Santa Maria del
Monte and back)
• Confortable shoes and
clothes are recommended
• We remind that, even in the
summer, mountain
temperatures are 5-8
degrees lower than those in
Rom.
• For the night activity
outdoor, watching stars, we
recommend a heavy “pile” or
a jacket.
• The program may be subject
to changes in case of bad
weather. In case of cloudy
sky the star observation will
be replaced by a lecture and
multimedia presentation.
• Please inform of any specific
dietary requirement
(allergies, vegeterian, other)
The excursion will take
place, at the stated
conditions, upor reaching 25
participants.
In case such number is not
reached, we will evaluate
with participants possible
changes in the program and/
or conditions to avoid
cancellation.
Reservations are on a first
come first served basis.
NOTES
Information and Reservations:
Punto Touring: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 63 00187 Roma
Phone +39-06-36005281 - Fax +39-06-36005342
E-mail: libreria.ptroma@touringclub.it
Canestrato cheese from Castel del Monte