Casa Duchessa is a family house located in Marano: a small village that hosts around a hundred people during the summer. With a long history behind, the house and its strong/reinforced walls hold the precious memories of a centennial family tradition. There is absolutely nothing in Marano: shops, restaurants, pharmacies and other amenities are 10 mins. away by car. There is only one thing to do: enjoy the silence, the walks, the fresh uncontaminated air, and the beauty of an incredible Region. This is a unique house to discover and enjoy the beautiful wildness of Abruzzo, the Italian Region that hosts the "Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo" (PNA). Founded in 1922, the Parco Nazionale is the oldest in the Apennine Mountains, and it is home of the Italian wolf, the Marsican brown bear and the Abruzzo chamois. Whilst it takes about 30 minutes by car to reach the PNA on the "Marsican Side", the village is part of the Parco Regionale "Velino-Sirente". The guests staying at Casa Duchessa will directly enjoy the breathtaking view of the "Massiccio del Monte Velino", including the "Massiccio della Duchessa". Casa Duchessa is an old family house which was built in the early 1900s. The house has been recently refurbished with modern goods and furniture, but it has kept its charming vintage touch. The house develops on two floors. The ground floor comprises a kitchen, a dining room with a large table and fireplace and a bathroom with shower and washing machine. Upstairs there is the half-bathroom (with only WC, basin and bidet), one single bedroom (Confessionale), two double bedrooms (Le Castagne and La Duchessa), two common rooms (Saletta and Sala di Mezzo), and two balconies. The large terrace (25 sqm c.a.) is accessible from an external entrance next to the house, and it overlooks the majestic Monte Velino. Catching the sun from the terrace or dining with friends and/or family is priceless and timeless. Despite the house has strong, large, and reinforced walls, conversations from the square are still audible, for the urban layout shows all houses, squares, and common urban spaces have been built next to each other - very next to each other! One revolutionary solution may be to open the door and participate to the conversation that the people coming from Marano have, when they gather again in the square during the summer...and maybe share a glass of Montepulciano wine brought from the houses around...or else, one could go for a more traditional solution: ear-plugs. The key feature of Marano dei Marsi is the fact that there is absolutely nothing. And by "nothing" I mean nothing. All shops, restaurants, pharmacies, bars, cafes, and all other services are in Magliano dei Marsi (9km away) or Avezzano (12 km). In case one wants to remember what a shopping mall looks like, there is the "Centro Commerciale i Marsi" about 16 km away. As such, the one great single thing that can be done in Marano dei Marsi is to relax, breath, talk, walk, write, read, and relax again. And breath again. Nonetheless, there are several things to do in the surroundings, both in terms of outdoor and cultural activities. For example, there is the charming "Cammino dei Briganti", a 100km walk around Monte Faito, which is Marano's mountain; another hike can be done to La Fonte di Tezio or La Forcella - this last one is part of the Monti Carseolani. Finally, guests can organize hikes to Monte Velino (usually via the GEV located in Magliano dei Marsi), or visit the sensational ancient Roman ruins named "Alba Fucens" (only 20km away from the village). Finally, apart from other numerous activities, with about 1/1.5 hours it is possibile to reach the popular destinations of Roccaraso, Pescasseroli and L'Aquila