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 The property takes its name from its location on Via del Casale in Valle San Giovanni, a small town located about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Teramo (population 53,000), the capital city of one of the four provinces of the Abruzzo region. Valle San Giovanni is midway between the Adriatic Sea (25 km/15 miles) and the Gran Sasso (20 km/12 miles), the highest peak in the Apennine mountain range. It is 176 km/110 miles from central Rome. An airport in Pescara is located about 48 miles/80 km to the south.

Valle San Giovanni is a quiet town of about 300 people. The residents of "La Valle" refer to themselves as Vallaroli and are the nicest people in the world! Many have relatives who emigrated to southern New Jersey and Montreal.

Casale sits by itself at the end of a short alley off the main piazza. This provides a sense of serenity when desired while still allowing plenty of contact with the lovely townspeople. Sometimes near the entrance to the alley, friendly Pasquale can be seen looking out of the corner of his eye as you pass by for your passeggiata (stroll). The town has a church ("chiesa"), one bar (Bar Novanta) run by Francesca and Giovanni Marini, a grocery store (alimentari) owned by Paolo Riccioni and family, Irma’s fruit and vegetable store (fruttivendolo), a post office branch (Ufficio Postale), and a hardware store (ferramenta) run by Leonardo DeCamillis. There are several restaurants within a 3-7 km driving distance.

Casale was completed in August, 2004. The interior area is 62 square meters (667 square feet). There are two bedrooms (one with a matrimonial bed and a second with two twin beds), a living room with a couch that folds out into a double bed (this is where I sleep and it is very comfortable), a kitchen, and a bathroom with an enclosed shower. There is central heating and a washing machine. A ceiling fan cools things a bit in the summer. The screens on the windows were expensive but work well.

Parking is in the piazza about 90ft/30 meters away. Since crime is virtually nonexisitant (although I suspect Pasquale may have absconded with the remains of a mortadella sandwhich I left on a bench overnight – bad dog!) this is not a problem. Best not to park your car directly next to the front door of the chiesa (church) so as to allow the churchgoers easy access. Guests enjoy a patio with an unobstructed view of Valle Soprana (no known relation to Tony Soprano!). A bus runs several times per day between Valle San Giovanni and Teramo.

Casale is centrally located in Abruzzo while at the same time a perfect get away from major tourist attractions. It provides peace and tranquility as well as the opportunity to take enjoyable daytrips to nearby beaches, and the mountains.

The locale manager is Paolo Riccioni, owner or the grocery store. With hesitancy he speaks English and will answer your most urgent questions. Paolo loves languages and you can teach him a few new words or phrases. Keep it clean, huh? Please arrive in Valle San Giovanni when the grocery store is open, any day but Sunday. Paolo opens in the morning from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM all year round. During the summer he opens from 4:00 PM until about 8:00 PM. During the dark winter months he closes about an hour earlier in the evening if there is a nice plate of pasta waiting for him at his home just around the corner from his market.