# Abruzzo food: Navelli saffron and Sulmona confetti

> Zafferano dell'Aquila DOP, EU-registered on February 5, 2005, Sulmona confetti made since the 15th century, and three DOCG wines led by Colline Teramane.

URL: https://myitalia.it/food/in-abruzzo
Last updated: 2026-09-11

Abruzzo's flagship protected food is the Zafferano dell'Aquila DOP, grown on the Navelli plateau and in the EU register since February 5, 2005, and its best-known sweet is the Sulmona confetto, made by the town's Poor Clares as early as the 15th century.

## Saffron from Navelli: a DOP since 2005

Zafferano dell'Aquila is a DOP grown on the Navelli plateau, and its EU registration dates from February 5, 2005. The agriculture ministry's list of protected names, updated to June 11, 2026, gives it as Abruzzo's flagship product.

Two other Abruzzo names on the same list come from the Fucino basin: Carota dell'Altopiano del Fucino IGP, from 2007, and Patata del Fucino IGP, from 2016.

The saffron's harvest dates, yearly output and price per gram aren't among the figures verified for this site. The consortium and the product specification are where to check them before planning a trip around the harvest.

## Sulmona: confetti since the 15th century

Sulmona's confetti go back to at least the 15th century, when the Poor Clares of the Santa Chiara monastery made the first bunches of flowers out of sugared almonds. The modern form arrived in the 17th century, when imported sugar made the confetto a luxury.

By 1846 the town had around twelve factories. The technique that set Sulmona apart fixes the sugar to the almond without starch or flour.

The colors still carry a code: pale blue or pink for a birth, red for a graduation, silver and gold for wedding anniversaries. The best-known variety is the Confetto Cannellino, nicknamed "di Leopardi".

All of this comes from the regional tourism body, which cites no archive for the 1846 count or the Leopardi name. Read it as documented tradition rather than as archive fact.

## Emigrants made the name travel

The confetto's international reputation was built in the 20th century by Abruzzese emigrants in the United States, Canada and Australia, on the regional body's own account.

If your family left this part of Abruzzo, the bag of confetti at a wedding back home may be the most direct thing it carried with it. For the trip back, see [roots travel in Abruzzo](/roots/in-abruzzo).

## Wine: three DOCG, the first from 2003

Abruzzo holds three DOCG wines on the 2026 ministry count: Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Terre Tollesi or Tullum, and Casauria.

Colline Teramane came first, recognized by ministerial decree on February 20, 2003 after being a DOC since 1968. It is made in 31 comuni of the province of Teramo, from the capital to the coast at Giulianova and Pineto, with at least 90% Montepulciano grapes.

Its vineyards may sit no higher than 550 meters, and yield is capped at 9.5 tonnes per hectare. The name itself was reversed by an EU implementing regulation of October 13, 2023, from Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane to its current order.

## The DOCs, and a rosé

The Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo, at Palazzo Corvo in Ortona, groups 191 producers on the count its own site showed in 2026, a figure that moves. Its statute covers five DOCs: Abruzzo, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo and Villamagna.

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is one of the few Italian DOCs reserved for a rosé, which makes it the bottle to ask for with a summer lunch on the coast.

## Three places, three products

The three names put you in three different parts of the region: the Navelli plateau in the province of L'Aquila for saffron, Sulmona for confetti, and the Teramo hills for Montepulciano.

More in [Abruzzo](/regions/abruzzo), [DOP and IGP](/themes/dop-igp), [wine denominations](/food/wine-denominations) and [how busy Abruzzo gets](/how-busy/in-abruzzo).

## FAQ

### Where does Abruzzo's saffron come from?

From the Navelli plateau, in the province of L'Aquila. It is protected as Zafferano dell'Aquila DOP, in the EU register since February 5, 2005, and the agriculture ministry lists it as the region's flagship product.

### What do the colors of Sulmona confetti mean?

Pale blue or pink for a birth, red for a graduation, silver and gold for wedding anniversaries. The code comes from the regional tourism body's account of the tradition, which also dates the first confetti flowers to the 15th century and the Poor Clares of Santa Chiara.

### Which Abruzzo wines are DOCG?

Three in 2026: Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Terre Tollesi or Tullum, and Casauria. Colline Teramane came first, recognized by ministerial decree on February 20, 2003, and is made in 31 comuni of the province of Teramo from at least 90% Montepulciano grapes.

### Is Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo a rosé?

Yes. Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is one of the few Italian DOC wines reserved for a rosé, and the Abruzzo wine consortium lists it among the region's historic DOCs, alongside Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lo Zafferano dell'Aquila DOP, coltivato sull'altopiano di Navelli, e registrato nel registro UE dal 5 febbraio 2005. | [MASAF - Elenco DOP e IGP prodotti agricoli (PDF, agg. 11/06/2026)](https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Fa%252F2%252FD.e7bdb4ebe6d458c7925a/P/BLOB%3AID%3D15453/E/pdf?mode=download); [Commissione europea - DG AGRI, registro eAmbrosia](https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/) | high | 2099-12-31 |
| Sulmona e' la citta' dei confetti: gia' nel XV secolo le Clarisse del monastero di Santa Chiara confezionavano i primi mazzolini di fiori di confetto e nel 1846 la citta' contava circa dodici fabbriche; la fama internazionale del prodotto e' stata costruita nel Novecento dagli emigranti abruzzesi in Stati Uniti, Canada e Australia. | [Regione Abruzzo - Dipartimento Turismo](https://www.abruzzoturismo.it/it/magazine/sulmona-la-splendida-citta-dei-confetti) | medium | 2029-12-31 |
| Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo e' la prima DOCG abruzzese, riconosciuta con D.M. del 20 febbraio 2003 (G.U. n. 54 del 6 marzo 2003) dopo essere stata DOC dal 1968: si produce in 31 comuni della provincia di Teramo con almeno il 90% di uve Montepulciano. | [MASAF - disciplinare pubblicato dal Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo](https://www.vinidabruzzo.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Colline-Teramane-Montepulciano-dAbruzzo-Disciplinare.pdf); [Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo](https://www.vinidabruzzo.it/vini-tutelati/) | high | 2029-12-31 |
| Il Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo riunisce 191 produttori e classifica tre denominazioni abruzzesi come DOP/DOCG (Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Terre Tollesi o Tullum, Casauria) accanto alle DOC storiche Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, Abruzzo e Villamagna. | [Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo](https://www.vinidabruzzo.it/vini-tutelati/); [doc 2](https://www.vinidabruzzo.it/) | medium | 2027-12-31 |
| Il Piemonte e la regione con piu vini DOCG (19), seguito dal Veneto (14) e dalla Toscana (11); queste tre regioni da sole valgono oltre la meta dei 79 DOCG italiani (2026). | [MASAF - Elenco alfabetico Vini DOP (PDF, agg. 27/03/2026)](https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Fd%252F5%252FD.fd1629819dea12c20cf4/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/pdf?mode=download) | medium | 2027-06-30 |

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Author: Guido Castelli. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
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