Though perhaps not the prettiest of the Sibillini hill-villages
AMÁNDOLA
is easy to get to on public transport and makes one of the best bases for seeing the region. Its main sight is a
Museo della Civiltŕ Contadina
(daily 9am-noon & 3-6pm; free), housed in the ex-convent of the church of San Francesco. The collection is fascinating, ranging from wine-making and grappa-distilling apparatus to a hand-pulled ambulance and carts decorated with Fascist symbols. It's in the kitchen, though, that things really come alive - the clutter includes a jar of roasted barley (a coffee substitute), a sausage-making machine, mosquito spray, a primitive potty and a wooden baby-walker. Amándola is also a rather forward-looking place, holding an excellent week-long international
theatre festival
in the first week of September. Low on pretension and high on participation, the festival overcomes language barriers with mime and movement performances and workshops - the atmosphere is irresistible, and it's well worth sticking around for the whole week.
Otherwise, Amándola is a great place to unwind after a day's hiking. It has an excellent
hostel
in a converted eighteenth-century palazzo, the
Casa per Feria
, Via Indipendenza 73 (tel 0736.848.598; L35,000/?18.08; in winter only open to groups of 15 or more) run by a co-operative and aimed particularly school parties - but open to individuals too. It has nine dorm-style rooms with en suite bathrooms each containing between four and seven beds. There's also a dining room in the basement. The only other hotel is the slightly run-down
Paradiso
at Via Umberto 1 (tel 0736.847.468; L90,000-120,000/?46.48-61.98), reached via steps leading from the steep narrow alleyway at the entrance to the main square: turn left at the top of the steps through the unmarked stone gateway. As an alternative, the restaurant
Savoy Valdaso
at Via C. Battisti 90 usually rents out
rooms
(tel 0736.848.522; L90,000-120,000/?46.48-61.98).
