Ancient centre in the province of Teramo between churches, museums, liquorice, arrosticini and the excellent Pecorino cheese.
Just a few steps from the Adriatic Sea, this is a land of history and culture but also one of flavours and extraordinary typical products. Among the most interesting villages in Abruzzo, Atri is an unmissable stop for those who come to the lands of Teramo. From its 442 metres of height, it dominates the surrounding valleys and by going there you can appreciate with just one look its bell towers that stand out against the populated centre.
Rich in stately homes, monuments, churches, museums, squares and alleys, Atri’s old town centre has preserved its medieval aspect; the main points of interest of the village, which are connected by Corso Elio Adriano, are Piazza del Duomo and Piazza Duchi Acquaviva, also known as Piazza del Comune. Particularly attractive are also the districts of Capo d’Atri, San Giovanni and the one of Santa Maria.
Atri is a city yet to be discovered and explored but also to be tasted. The local specialties that you can buy and taste are numerous, from honey to liquorice, from extra virgin olive oil to the arrosticini, sheep meat cubes stuck on long twigs and cooked on the grill, from maccheroni with bread crumbs to the sweet Pan Ducale, one of the most representative products of Atri’s cuisine since 1300 made with eggs, sugar, flour, almonds and chocolate. Then we have the wines, like Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Chardonnay and Trebbiano, and again the cheese like Pecorino. Historical local specialty, the Pecorino from Atri is a cheese made with raw whole milk from sheep. With a hard or semi-hard texture, it has a different crust depending on the ageing; the taste too varies its intensity depending on how old the cheese is, from 40 days to two years. The aged ones have a definitely spicy taste, which is suitable for being grated. It is quite good also if it is conserved in local extra virgin olive oil, after being aged for 40-60 days in bran or ash. You can taste it alone but also combined with bread and seasonal vegetables. Depending on the level of ageing, it can be matched with a white wine or a particularly well structured red one. It is certainly one of the treasures of this beautiful city in Abruzzo.
