The first time I heard of the town of Penne in Abruzzo I thought that explains the name of the pasta! I was wrong. Penne, the pasta, is named for its shape, pen-like, in fact the word penne means pens in English. (Penna is the singular.) If you are interested in knowing more about pasta shapes try this Wikipedia article.
So how did Penne, the Abruzzo, town get its name? Well it used to be called Pinna in Roman times and I guess the name just evolved. If anyone out there knows the history, please let me know.
It’s a lovely town, which appears from a distance to be built on two hills. I’ve visited Penne many times but as I was looking for pictures for this post I realised that I didn’t have very many. Most of photos I do have seem to be taken on dull days. I must do something about that, as Penne deserves to be shown in much better light.
From the impressive main entrance, Porta S. Francesco, to the many churches and museums, Penne should be enjoyed slowly. You can have a lot of fun wandering the narrow streets trying to figure out where you are. There are plenty of places to eat. I’ve enjoyed lunch in both Ristorante La Grotta (Via Pultone Vivo III, 8 ) and Ristorante Osteria del Leone (Piazzetta XX Setembre, 3). Just don’t expect a menu – you’ll be offered whatever is good on the day.
What Penne has to offer doesn’t end with the town itself. The nearby Lago di Penne (Lake of Penne) is well worth a visit. It has a picnic area and and on a good day a walk on the trail beside the lake is lovely. The lake itself is artificial reservoir.
On a silly note, I always refer to the lake as Lago di Penne and not an English equivalent. Firstly because it is better for my Italian, and secondly because otherwise I might have the song “Penne Lake” by four Liverpudlians in my head for days!
I think after that you deserve some tips:
- don’t drive into Penne, leave your car, if you have one, at one of the free car parks outside the old town walls.
- if your route passes by Penne expect slow traffic around the walls
- Penne, Loreto Aprutino and Collecorvino are all within 10k of each other, and all are worth visiting
- you’ll find it here!
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- Traditional Meal In A Farmhouse Restaurant I’d passed by Il Casolare (the farmhouse) many times before...
- Market Day (giorno di mercato) I love market day in Abruzzo. There’s always a buzz...
Great images, and a great way to show them off too. Love the Piclens thing – must look into that.
What camera and lenses do you use?
Best,
Alex
Mostly I use a Canon 400D although some of the photos were taken with a “go anywhere” Canon IXUS 400!
The 400D is great, and I usually switch between a Tamron AF 18-250 f/3.5-6.3 Di-II and a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8. They are both super lenses for their price.
I also have a Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro. I used it a lot before I got the Tamron. Again a great budget zoom, not bad for close-ups too. I just find that the range of the Tamron makes it more versatile.
For those occasions when you don’t want the “bulk”, that 4 mega pixels IXUS can still work beautifully. It’s worth nothing now, but it can take some great shots.
Hi Bodach,
Great to come across your website…I am writing to you from South East Asia, where we live. We found Penne, Abruzzo while searching on the internet for a second home last year. And we were even more delighted with the place when we had a chance to visit it!
It is not often that I have come across a website like yours that is dedicated to the Abruzzo region and frankly I am quite thrilled with it! As we continue to miss Penne when we are not there, I love to see all your postings and pictures that are specific to this amazing area!
You may want to add the link to Prontobus that runs directly between Pescara and FCO airport in Rome. It is a great service, and I understand that they have also begun a service directly from Penne to Rome. So that seems exciting as well.
Wishing you all the best and please keep up the great work!
Thanks for satisfying my curiosity with regard to your photographic gear. I can vouch for the 400d – excellent camera – which I had before chopping it in for a 40d – which is also superb, and just a little bit more versatile, especially if you like to tinker – as I do.
As for lenses, I’ve got a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 and a Tokina 12-24 f4.0. Both are excellent for budgetish kit.
I want a zoom, but will wait ’til I can run to a 70-200 Canon lens – preferably an f2.8.
Do you shoot RAW or jpeg?
Best,
Alex