#albergodiffuso

THE STORY OF A LOST TOWN

Until the 1990s, this small village in the Gran Sasso Park, in Abruzzo, was completely abandoned.

One day a young entrepreneur of Swedish origin, Daniele Kihlgren, during a motorcycle ride, found himself in the almost deserted village and fell in love with the place.

“Time seemed to have stopped, no concrete buildings, no factories, no tourist infrastructure as you see elsewhere in the mountains with kitschy chalets. It was a virgin place.”

He returned to Santo Stefano with a plan to save the village from extinction by creating a widespread hotel. So he bought and began renovating many abandoned houses to open his Hotel @sextantio , working with local architects and archaeologists to ensure that everything remained true to the original.

Only local materials relevant to the place were used such as stone, wood, ceramics and wool. For this kind of aesthetic we talk about rural chic.

This story and Kihlgren’s idea are an example of what Italy could be if nature and local traditions were used wisely, in order to create a real tourist interest in unknown places.

It is easy to look for Beauty when it is obvious and famous, but only a true aesthete can see Beauty when it is hidden, unpopular, unfashionable and covered by a layer of dust.

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#sextantio #santostefanodisessanio #abruzzolovers #abruzzodellemeraviglie #danielekihlgren #losttown #widespreadhotel #albergodiffuso #amazinghotels #ruralchic #abruzzo #rocailleblog #rocailleguide #elegantitalianadventures (presso Santo Stefano di Sessanio)
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