We have often told you about Italy's villages — their ability to preserve history, ancient architecture and artisan traditions. Places that all too often risk becoming silent backdrops, hollowed out by depopulation and abandonment. Territories that, without new opportunities, risk disappearing entirely, taking with them an invaluable historical and cultural heritage. But exceptions do exist. Such as Santo Stefano di Sessanio — part of the Borghi più belli d'Italia circuit and one of Abruzzo's most evocative places for the harmony of its architectural elements, "a cameo set among the mountains," as the municipal website describes it.

A story of resilience: after the depopulation of the second half of the twentieth century, the village was reborn from 2002 onwards, betting on an albergo diffuso project and sustainable tourism. In short, we came to Abruzzo (also) to understand how this renaissance is progressing — and we did so aboard the latest evolution of the Mazda CX-60, our travelling companion throughout the journey. Quiet, thanks to more than 60 kilometres of electric range in its most virtuous version, the plug-in hybrid; also available is the mild hybrid 48V diesel version, compatible with HVO 100, hydrotreated vegetable oil — a biodiesel derived from vegetable oils and waste fats — with the advantages (significant reduction in CO₂ emissions) and disadvantages (particulate matter and nitrogen oxide values lower than standard diesel but similar to those produced by petrol) common to other biofuels.

In Abruzzo with Mazda, where village tourism is a sustainable alternative

We will return to the Mazda CX-60 shortly with all the relevant details. First, though, another story — different but running in parallel — that of Aielli, another small municipality in the Marsica area of the province of L'Aquila. Surrounded by the mountains of the Parco naturale regionale Sirente Velino, isolated and enclosed within a ring of peaks, with a community historically tied to the land and to rural and pastoral culture, this village went from a place of marginality and abandonment — shaped by numerous earthquakes and the waves of migration in the 1950s and 1960s — to one that chose to cultivate its memory by transforming itself into an open-air museum. Around forty murals have given a new face to the village's houses, reigniting tourism and hosting an annual street art and astronomy festival.

The technological renaissance of the Mazda CX-60

That Abruzzo harbours one of Italy's most intact landscape and cultural heritages is well known. Less well known is that, in the hinterland of this Apennine region, one of the most interesting chapters of the renaissance of Italian villages is being written — not through major public investment or marketing campaigns, but through a slow and deeply rooted philosophy built on care for the territory, cultural identity and conscious tourism. So much for the places. Let us return to the Mazda CX-60 — not, as we mentioned, a revised-and-corrected model so much as a genuinely new one. Rather, a car that refines and improves. Revised suspension for enhanced comfort, glazing that improves acoustic insulation — an effect even more apparent when travelling on electric power alone. An openable panoramic roof to take in the surrounding peaks, and an audio system that delivers remarkable sound quality. Some people call it driving serenity.

And here we come to our journey and the reasons behind this story. We came to Abruzzo to understand how this renaissance is progressing, and we did so aboard the new Mazda CX-60 — a car we had already covered at its first debut as a plug-in hybrid in 2023. The core specifications, as previewed, remain: a 48-volt hybrid system that pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a second 129 kW electric motor and a 17.8 kWh lithium-ion battery (rechargeable in around two and a half hours using the integrated 7.2 kW on-board charger), delivering a truly impressive combined output: 241 kW, or 327 horsepower. CO₂ emissions of 85 g/km; compliance updated to the latest Euro 6e-bis emissions standards; the 2.5 plug-in hybrid version starts from €57,150. Those interested in learning more about Mazda's commitments on social and environmental issues can consult the 2025 Sustainability Report online.

Mazda CX-60: growing attention to comfort

Today, updated in the e-Skyactiv all-wheel-drive version, the Mazda CX-60 stays true to itself: an SUV of family-trip-friendly dimensions, sure-footed on mountain roads, ready for "adventurous" diversions such as dirt tracks or low-grip terrain. In short, an ideal travel companion for an itinerary like Abruzzo's, which unfolds slowly between peaks, high plateaus and stone alleyways — demanding routes that bring out the car's attention to comfort, achieved through seats and suspension capable of absorbing road imperfections, and the new double front glazing that better filters aerodynamic wind noise.

Like many plug-in hybrids, the Mazda CX-60 has a fairly small fuel tank (50 litres), offering a range of around 400 kilometres (as indicated by the on-board computer); drivers who frequently make long journeys may find themselves stopping for fuel relatively often. Among the carry-overs — and a less positive note — is the presence of animal-derived leather among the options, already replaced by many manufacturers with decidedly more sustainable alternatives.

Minor aesthetic updates

The aesthetic updates are minor; more significant are those in terms of safety, with Adas systems capable of detecting sudden medical emergencies, intervening to slow down and bring the vehicle to a safe stop, right through to automatic door unlocking to assist emergency responders. Voice controls for navigation also improve, feeling more natural. Particularly useful is the system that allows the driver to personalise their driving position: there is essentially a tutorial that uses facial recognition to measure the driver's height and automatically adjusts the seat, steering wheel and mirrors, while simultaneously saving individual preferences for audio and climate control. But let's return to the theme of the journey — the revival of small villages.

Italy's villages are disappearing. But some have chosen to resist

Tourism in small villages is not only a fascinating option for travellers in search of authenticity, but also a more sustainable alternative to large cities. Rural destinations have a smaller ecological footprint thanks to low population density and the limited presence of large infrastructure, resulting in a reduced impact on ecosystems. And staying in a small village, even for just one night as we did in Santo Stefano di Sessanio, means directly supporting the local economy, creating opportunities for artisans, farmers and local restaurateurs.

Italy is estimated to have over five thousand small municipalities home to nearly ten million people, yet with a population in continuous decline and progressive, relentless ageing. The risk? That these places transform into silent landscapes, hollowed out by depopulation and abandonment. One of the solutions is precisely rural tourism — not mass tourism, but the kind that values communities, creates local jobs, and offers travellers something authentic that large cities simply cannot provide. Abruzzo, with its national parks, its medieval villages and its still-living rural traditions, is one of the most fertile testing grounds for this type of tourism. This is where we drove for two days aboard the Mazda CX-60, often in the silence that electric range affords, letting the road — and our curiosity — lead us to where the revival is most visible.

Aielli, the village that found the cosmos in its alleyways

Setting off from Roma, leaving the motorway and travelling towards the Marsica, following the shores of Lake Fucino — or rather, what remains of it after the colossal drainage completed in 1878. A vast and silent landscape, encircled by a ring of mountains. The perfect opportunity to slow down, but also to discover that the CX-60 achieves (a figure that varies greatly depending on whether the hybrid system's battery is charged or not) up to 20 km/l — a reassuring figure for a car of this weight and size. We reach Aielli after tight bends and climbs, and what we find is something unexpected for a mountain village in the Marsica: walls painted with international street art, an atmosphere suspended between the rural and the contemporary. Among the surprises, a medieval tower transformed into an astronomical observatory.

A striking example of resilience: through the Borgo Universo project, this small municipality has been transformed into an open-air museum with over thirty murals spanning themes from astronomy to literature, created by artists from around the world, making Aielli one of the most visited villages in Abruzzo. It is the story of a community historically tied to the land and pastoral culture, which over time watched its young people leave and its elderly grow older. Then came a gradual and consistent turning point — one that did not overturn the village's identity but expanded it. Street art that did not superimpose itself onto village life, but became part of it.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio, time suspended at the foot of Gran Sasso

Our journey takes us to the foot of the Gran Sasso massif, to Santo Stefano di Sessanio. A stone nativity scene clinging to the mountainside: cobbled lanes, medieval houses restored with care, a Medici tower dominating the landscape. It is one of the most authentic villages in Abruzzo, and its recent history is one of respectful rebirth following the earthquake that had left its mark on both the buildings and the community.

Here, rural tourism has taken the form of the albergo diffuso Sextantio: not a conventional hotel, but a constellation of historic dwellings recovered and converted into rooms, with their original atmosphere kept entirely intact. Stone floors, vaulted ceilings, silence broken only by the wind descending from the mountains. The village is surrounded by the Parco nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga, which at over 150,000 hectares is one of the most important mountain ecosystems in Italy. The final stop of the test drive, just a few kilometres from Santo Stefano di Sessanio, is the Castello di Rocca Calascio — a particularly evocative location and the setting for many film productions.