Frattura Vecchia and White Beans

When Anna Swan offers a tour of a small Abruzzese town, we always try to attend.  This last one was definitely one of her best.  She took us to the small town (hamlet) of Frattura Vecchia, above the hill town of Scanno, that is known for its white beans, fagiolo bianco, which locals have nurtured on small plots for generations. Frattura Vecchia is a blue zone—until recently, over 40% of its residents lived past 100. Today, two women are centenarians, making up a remarkable 20% of the population (12 full-time residents!). Could it be the fresh mountain air? The stunning lake vistas? Or the diet of exceptional white beans?

However, Anna did not warn us about the route to get there – a hair razing, white-knuckle drive up the mountains, around hairpin curves, and along narrow roads with drop-offs and no guard rails.  But it was well worth it. 

We met wonderful people who love life and living off of the land.  They showed us how they process the beans and let us pick some too.  We also got to pick turnip greens, which were then prepared for our lunch.  We met Armando, a 70+-year-old farmer who treated us to his family “bean dance”.  You need to see the photos and videos to appreciate it.  We saw the house where his mother-in law was born. It survived the earthquake of 1915, probably because it was built better (with money sent from Venezuela and the USA where the men from the family worked), but also because it was built on more solid rocks and soil, rather than the hill where the rest of the village was, now abandoned, but still holds many cherished memories. 

When we arrived at Fratturo Vecchio, we were greeted by residents offering to let us buy locally produced pasta, lentils, farro, tea, and of course, wine.  Needless to say, Mike and I came home with our share of goods.

We were entertained by Lolita, the resident hen, who comes when you call her, and is willing to be held and cuddled.  We gratefully also came home with a couple of her eggs. 

Lunch began with an apertivo pranzato:  a feast of cheeses, cured meats, breads made from local grains, the celebrated white beans, a traditional pasta dish called chezzillit e fuoj, and wine – all from nearby farms and gardens. Then there was cake and Genziana, a digestive liquor popular in Abruzzo. The meal took hours, and we were all stuffed!

It was a wonderful, full day, learning of the history of the town, its people, and enjoying time with new friends. Click here to see our photos.

On our way home, we stopped at Sulmona for coffee and picked up some confetti (sugar-coated almonds) for our friends Valerie and Cecil.  We will meet them in Zagreb next Saturday to embark on a tour of Slovenia and Croatia.  Stay tuned!

In case you are interested, here is a quick summary of the history of Frattura:

 Frattura is the only hamlet of the Abruzzo municipality of Scanno , in the province of L'Aquila. Now inhabited by just a few dozen residents, the town is located at 1260 above sea level on the western slopes of the Genzana mountain range. Due to the earthquake on January 13, 1915, the old town was almost completely destroyed; a new center was rebuilt lower down, and the two towns are called "Frattura Vecchia" and "Frattura Nuova".  Frattura Nuova was built during the fascist era between 1932 and 1936, slightly further to the south.

Frattura owes its name to a landslide phenomenon that occurred in prehistoric times on Mount Rava, thus forming Lake Scanno about 13,000 years ago.  The 1915 earthquake caused extensive destruction in the original center of Frattura.  This is because the old town is located near the niche where the prehistoric landslide occurred. In fact, neighboring towns, like Scanno, suffered little damage.

About half of the 350 residents at that time perished in the earthquake, mostly women and children, as the men had moved with their flocks of sheep to Puglia and found work.

Some ruins remain of the ancient settlement, and some houses have been renovated.  At the main entrance to the old town center, a stone fountain and a chapel dedicated to the Madonna are also preserved. The upper part is the mostly dilapidated, with only the ruins of the houses and the bell tower of the ancient church of San Nicola still standing.