Villa Santa Maria

Known since the 13th century for producing professional cooks, Villa Santa Maria in Abruzzo's Chieti province carries the informal title "Patria dei cuochi" — homeland of cooks. The tradition runs deep enough that a hospitality school was built in the 1960s to preserve it, and a cooking museum now occupies the Palazzo Caracciolo, named for San Francesco Caracciolo, a 16th-century native son regarded as the patron of cooks. The village sits along the Sangro river, with vineyards in the surrounding hills.

• Population1,229
• Nearest water from center 0.3 km0.2 mi
• Nearest mountain from center 4.5 km2.8 mi