Picciano, Abruzzo

I doubt many would have visited such small village, maybe not even Nelly, a frequent contributor in this forum who moved in the mountains near Pescara from Canada. Maybe she will chime in if she sees this post. You will definitely need a rental car to visit the area. If you fly to Rome it should be less than 3 hours drive, for the most part on a freeway which will take you through some of the most beautiful mountains in Italy. After you exit the freeway you will be on curvy mountain 2 lane highways, so drive carefully.

Thanks. I am hoping that Nelly sees this as well. We took her advice and are taking a bus to Pescara before picking up our rental car. As the places we want to visit aren't easily visited, we will need our own car for sure. We are there for 5 days.

If you go directly from the Rome Fiumicino airport to Pescara the bus company you want is Dicarlo Bus
https://dicarlobus.com/
If you are going from the city center, beside Dicarlo you have the option of Itabus and FlixBus, which depart also from the Tiburtina Bus Terminal, next to the Tiburtina train station
https://www.itabus.it/
https://www.flixbus.com/

At Pescara many major rental car companies (Hertz, Avis-Budget, Europcar) are located at the train station and the bus terminal is also located next to the train station.
The Pescara airport also will have offices of the same companies plus also Sixt and the Enterprise brands (National Alamo etc). I would look for those next to the bus terminal in the city center.
You can use www.autoeurope.com (a reputable broker I always use for Italian rental cars) to check pricing and options.

From Pescara to Picciano it will be only 30+ minutes drive, on regular roads (no freeway).

Nelly-from-Canada could tell you that the Abbruzzi basically built Toronto. Most of the tall buildings constructed there during the 20C involved Abruzzi stonemasons.
I am done. the pedantic

You'll be a very few miles from a church with frescoes that was one of the reasons I went to Abruzzo last fall, but it was closed. It's the Chiesa di Santa Maria in Piano, in the town of Loreto Aprutino. Nelly reports that it will re-open on April 24th: " I just saw the news that the church in Loreto Aprutino you were hoping to visit reopens this month after a restoration costing €1,000,000+ and 3 years of work. It has new seismic reinforcements and the Last Supper fresco has been restored."

From my report: "brilliantly colored 15th century Last Judgement with scenes I have never seen or heard of before — the souls have to cross a bridge that narrows to a hair’s breadth in the middle so that those heavy with sin will fall off it. Nelly tried to find someone who could open the church for us, but nope." If you like such things!
https://abruzzostoriepassioni.com/2016/01/21/il-maestro-di-loreto/

You are also 40 minutes from Atri, a town we stayed in and enjoyed a lot. And, yes, the mountains in Abruzzo are stunningly beautiful.

Here's my whole Abruzzo trip report, if you didn't see it. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/italy-puglia-abruzzo-mostly-oct-nov-2025#bottom

Many people don’t know that there are more Abruzzesi living in Greater Toronto than in any city in Abruzzo, except for Pescara. About 80,000 of them. One of them was the late Chairman and CEO of Fiat-Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, Canadian born in Chieti.

But apparently almost 70 Canadians now live full time in the region, so I guess we are witnessing an example of reverse migration.

I have spent time in this area of Abruzzo. Via my DIL have acquired an extended family in the surrounds, who have wholehearted embraced my family. She has a great auntie about to turn 100years. Can not say I remember Picciano specifically but do have fond memories of a few hours spent in nearby Penne.

Recommend Bradt guides: https://www.bradtguides.com/destinations/europe/abruzzo/

E Book: https://www.bradtguides.com/product/italy-abruzzo-4-ebook/

Of course, the best and most welcoming source are you wife’s relatives. Do hope you have made the most of them and pumped them for help. Our most treasured memories are with relatives at casual evening al fresco gatherings in rural settings, rather than static displays. With many more to come. The women are already planning for when the American War against Iran is over. Whilst not the objective of the event, we did find ourselves answering a multitude of questions about where we lived.

You are right. Impossible to appreciate and enjoy the rugged beauty of this remote area without a vehicle. Were here just two years ago in April and enjoyed a big snowball fight with my grandchildren on the Campo Imperatore plains. Do not remember who won, but we all ended up wet, cold, and exhausted. Wonderful.

Perhaps you could expand on what you are looking forward too and hoping to experience.

To be frank, if you are enticed by places featured in the glossy brochures and TV travel shows, then you are likely to be disappointed. If you fancy taking a risk to tackle something new and real, then this maybe it.

I do urge you, if possible, to make time to visit with Nelly in southern Abruzzo. Her village in the Majella mountains is delightful. My family remembers our day with her family and friends fondly. Rented a house in nearby San Valentino for a week in 2024. Sulmona is a popular tourist attraction. Market days are Wednesday and Saturday. Home to sugar-coated almond, Confetti.

Regards Ron