Sextantio

On the fourth day of our wedding extravaganza we visited a little Medieval village in the Appennine Mountains, just an hour away from Pescara, where we were all based.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio is a lovely little burgh full of history and art and we really enjoyed an enogastronomic tour around the village. Unfortunately the town was badly affetced by the L'Aquila earthquake last year and some of its features, such as the 13th century tower, were destroyed. There is scaffolding everywhere around the village, which of course took some of the charm away. Nonetheless, the village looked lovely and incredibly picturesque.

We left Pescara late in the morning and arrived at S.Stefano around noon. We were meeted and greeted by Luisa, a lovely receptionist of the Sextantio Hotel and taken to Il Cantinone for our aperitivo.

As soon as we entered the room we were all captivated by the beauty of it. The cosy wine cellar was the perfect way to kick off our visit of Sextantio. Sextantio is a brand new boutique concept where bits of the hotel are spread around the micro-village.The philosophy behind the restoration project is to revive old traditions mantaining the rustic simplicity of the Medieval charm but with modern luxury incorporated.

After a delicious aperitivo we were taken to La Locanda Sotto Gli Archi, the hotel restaurant, for an amazing meal, carefully prepared for us by the chef Niko Romito.

I loved everything about lunch, the food, the atmospheare, even the ceramic water glasses and jugs, not to mention the fact that our beloved George Clooney had lunch here while filming The American.

After lunch our tour-guide Vanessa showed us around and told us all the secrets and stories about the village. It was fascinating to listen to her. 

We finished the tour yet again eating and drinking in the Tisaneria, or Tea Room, where we tasted herbal infusions and local cakes.

Before leaving we asked if we could see any of the hotel rooms. Thankfully one room was free and we were invited to see it; that's when I decided that Rob and I will have to go back for a romantic weekend.

The simplicity, yet the elegance, of these rooms are just what I look for in an hotel and I would love to have the opportunity to spend a night, or perhaps two, in this amazing and unique hotel. See you soon Sextantio, see you soon!