WHERE IS TARTUFIA?

In Abruzzo, a region of Italy embraced to the west by the Apennine mountains of Abruzzo and washed by the Adriatic Sea to the east,

in the inland area of the middle Aterno Valley, about 100 km from Rome,

stands Fagnano Alto (in Latin, Aufenginumun) a group of small villages whose first settlements are documented between 300 and 400 BC, but the earliest archaeological evidence dates back to 1300 BC.

The area, which lies within the boundaries of the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, presents an extraordinary biodiversity in terms of vegetation, due to the multiplicity of environments that characterise the territory, the extremely varied geomorphology and the strong altitudinal gradient, ranging from 600 m above sea level in the area near the Aterno river, to the high altitude areas culminating with Mount Sirente (2343 m), passing through the karst plains and the woods on the slopes.

The subsistence economy of the area has for centuries been derived from the exploitation of the environmental systems by the population that has always cultivated land and tended pastures.

Fagnano is in fact the home of the Black Truffle of Abruzzo, due to the existence of extensive forests of oaks (roverella) that produce the sought-after product.

The territory of Fagnano, in fact, lies at the centre of the oldest truffle-growing area in the L'Aquila basin and the species that grow there are the prized black truffle and the black summer truffle.

To date, the Fagnano truffle is highly sought after by major distributors throughout Italy for its unmistakable aroma, exquisite flavour and high culinary value!



BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barbara Di Vincenzo, 2018. Aufenginum: Historical-architectural emergencies in the Municipality of Fagnano Alto.