Gragnano Attracts Senior Pasta Fans

My Travel & Leisure magazine noted that Gragnano on the shore of Lake Garda is a site that senior citizens who are searching for a neat visit should consider. Pretty cool link huh? Gragnano is a commune in the Province of Naples, located about 30 kilometers southeast of Naples.

May be reason enough to personally check out the site for yourself. Yes, it is called città della pasta, city of pasta. And  senior travelers will also find some great pizza in this city. The entire area is calm and peaceful, not exactly a place for tourists looking for discos, pubs and night fun so be aware of that fact. Pasta and pizza are the words here.  My wife and I would really enjoy all the variety.

 Pasta and Pizzerias Make Seniors Smile

The city is not large (20,000) and Facebook recommends that you check out those fabulous pizzerias. In addition senior visitors will not run out of attractions in every direction from Gragnano.

Pasta has been made in Italy for thousands of years. The Romans called it laganum and the Arabs, who conquered the Italian south in the 9th century, called it itriyya. But it was not until the 16th century in Gragnano near Naples that pasta became an industrial product.

 The city has the feel of a true Italian town where people work at other jobs than the tourist trade and so it is one of those fine little places that one can actually settle in and gather one’s thoughts. Gragnano tumbles down from the main road midway up the slopes to the water’s edge. There on a narrow strip along the lake are the town’s main buildings, many of which have stood their ground for centuries and crowd right to the edge of the water.

Bell Towers, Fine Dining and Famous People

Unlike many other lakeside towns around Lago di Garda and the other Lakes of the Lake District, there is no room for an uninterrupted promenade. Just take your pick of fine dining in the area, seniors will have a plethora choices. Among the best things to see in Gragnano is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, the Spiaggia Grane, San Giacomo and San Michele.

Seniors will want to visit the principal building in Gragnano, the Chiesa di San Francesco, with its campanile, bell tower, that can be seen from a long distance.  The church has a cloister with columns that have fruit carvings.

Gragnano is one of the largest cities near Lago di Garda and is called “the essence of Italy“.  Gragnano has always been visited and inhabited by famous people like Erika Blanc, Cesare Lievi, Benito Mussolini and Uto Ughi, one of the world’s most talented violin players. All have lived there or still visit Gragnano.

So enjoy Gragnano and its great pasta. jeb