In this brand new series, readers are invited on a virtual journey that embraces the whole of Italy, but that focuses on the lesser known, smaller, often ignored localities. In this difficult moment it's paramount that we help the struggling economies of minor travel destinations, as opposed to the more established ones.

This first appointment takes us to Abruzzo, precisely to three hilltop towns with a storied past. The region of Abruzzo is one of Italy's best-kept secrets. The neighbouring hilltop towns of Calascio, Santo Stefano di Sessanio and Castel del Monte, in the L'Aquila province, sit on the edge of the Campo Imperatore plain in the heart of the Apennine Mountains, within the breath-taking beauty of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.