La Piazza Dario

Discover Chef Claudio Ranallo's Roots! Discover the town of Ateleta and the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo Italy...

Never heard of Ateleta? Neither had we until we met the charming chef of La Piazza Dario. If you are looking for an authentic Italian experience, this is the place to be. From the food to charming Italian accent of the chef, La Piazza Dario will not disappoint!

As we ate delicious pistachio pasta, we discovered that Chef Ranallo roots are founded in the small Italian mountain town of Ateleta...

Ateleta is one of the picturesque mountain towns located in the province of L'Aquila, in the heart Abruzzo, Italy. It sits on a hill called Calle Sisto in the valley to the left of the Sangre River. It is a quaint village of the old country, with all the charms that comes with a small European town: cobbled streets, colourful buildings and ruins of the Castello Carceri (castle Carceri)!

It seems fitting that the hometown of a talented chef is also part of the region renowned for its tartufo bianco, or the white truffle, a delicacy largely sought out all over Italy and Europe. L'Aquila is the largest of four provinces in the Abruzzo region and the only one without access to the sea. It has the most mountainous terrain in Abruzzo and preserves the charming landscapes of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Parks.

It is a place that takes you out and away from the stresses of today's fast paced world and back to the idyllic charms of an ages old Italian town, inspiring a close connection to nature through its serene and untouched vistas of nature. It is this connection to the old world and to the land that inspires Chef Ranallo to create the authentic flavours of Italy...