General Description
Cuoco d'Oro means golden cook. It is a coveted award bestowed on Italy's best chefs. The fact that Filippo, a well respected Boston chef was recognized by the Italians as a Cuoco d'Oro was no small feat. But then, nothing Filippo does is ever small. This home bears witness.

Upon revisiting his ancestral Sulmona, Filippo purchased one of the city's oldest palazzi, built in 1260 and immediately embarked on a painstaking restoration. To the amazement of architects and local historians, the same Roman aqueduct that was thought to end in the city's main square continued arching right through Filippo's property. As craftsmen toiled to free these ancient arches, a stone shield emblazoned with the 800 year old crest of King Manfredi, ruler of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilys, came to light.

The restoration is complete, and the royal seal is proudly visible once again, adorning the dining room of Cuoco d'Oro. The aqueduct that runs through the house forms the walls of two rooms and is stylized as a backdrop for the heated, Roman plunge pool in the atrium.

Chef Filippo's success as a restaurateur is due in part to a simple creed: "Provide the best possible quality at a reasonable price and they will come." Anna, the chef's American born wife has been instrumental in applying the same philosophy to this home. Together, here is what they have accomplished.

Gleaming marble floors and hand painted high ceilings frame eight spectacular bedrooms each with its own en suite bath with a built-in, heated towel rack and hair dryer. Air conditioning is throughout the entire home. There's a washer and a dryer, satellite television, wireless Internet connection for laptops at no charge, a CD player and a compact, well equipped kitchen.

Two hours of mid week maid service are included in the price. Meals, cooking classes and additional maid service may be requested when booking. A walking tour of Sulmona's artistic sites or a hike to the hermitage of Pope Celestine V may be arranged with the city's prominent art historian and master artist - an intimate introduction to this lively city.

Sulmona is a fascinating city, rich in pageantry, history and artistic treasures. It is known as the Siena of the Abruzzi. The city's Palio, La Giostra Cavalleresca, is the oldest in Italy. It is a medieval jousting tournament that takes place the last weekend in July on the other side of your aqueduct. The allure of this picturesque setting even caught the eye of George Clooney who filmed his thriller, “The American”, (in theatres fall of 2010) in Sulmona including some scenes shot right at Cuoco d’Oro.

Parking is where you can find it around the piazza or in a paid lot, 200 yards away. Your door opens to the main square and just outside are a number of restaurants, cafés, gelaterie, bakeries, grocers, butchers, including two on the floor below and a few jewelry shops; one is a school for goldsmiths. There's an outdoor market on both Wednesday and Saturday and an antiques market every second weekend of the month. Sulmona's colorful, candy coated almonds are found everywhere.

Within 20 minute drives are the undiscovered medieval villages of Patrola Peligna, Popoli and Pacentro, Madonna Ciccone's ancestral home; Roccaraso's ski slopes: 30; Chieti: 40; Scanno's hiking trails, lake and filigreed gold: 45; the Adriatic beaches of Francavilla al Mare: 50; L'Aquila or Ortona: 60; Tivoli: 75; Isernia: 80; Rome or Terni: 120.

Buses depart from Sulmona for Rome six times a day and take two hours each way.

Technical Description
First floor: Long entry corridor with French balcony. Living room with fireplace, TV, CD player and doors to atrium with heated plunge pool. Dining room. Galley kitchen with stove top, oven, microwave, fridge and dishwasher. Six bedrooms each with two single, joinable beds and en suite bathroom with shower, one with an extra single bed and another with a screened French balcony. One bedroom with two sets of two single, joinable beds, a screened French balcony and en suite bathroom with shower. Accessed from another bedroom or from the atrium is the aqueduct bedroom with two single, joinable beds and en suite bathroom with shower. Half bath with washer and dryer.