From the hill above Città Sant'Angelo: Gianni and Ester Fragassi
Verde Abruzzo S.r.l. is located on the Strada Gaglierano, high above Città Sant'Angelo in the province of Pescara — a patch of Aprutinian hill country that overlooks the Adriatic coast on one side and the massifs of Gran Sasso and Majella on the other. Here, Gianni Fragassi runs the business together with his wife Ester, which has been marketed under the brand name Tenuta Fragassi since 2005. What began back then with a clear focus — the Pomodoro Pera d'Abruzzo, an old local tomato variety on the verge of extinction — has developed into a complete program of Abruzzese delicacies that is now exported to a dozen countries.
The decision to specifically cultivate the Pera d'Abruzzo tomato was also a cultural gesture: the variety had been almost displaced in the 1970s by high-yielding hybrid tomatoes. Gianni Fragassi opted for a regional seed restoration project (variety SAAB-CRA) that saved the variety from final disappearance. For him and Ester, the disappearance of this tomato meant the loss of a piece of Abruzzese identity.
From field to bottle: Cultivation, processing, certification
Tenuta Fragassi grows the Pera d'Abruzzo on about ten hectares. The plants grow on trellises up to two meters high; harvesting is done exclusively by hand, and only the fruits at the right degree of ripeness. Processing into passata or ready-made sauce takes place on the same day as the harvest — this preserves the natural sweetness, color, and aroma of the tomato. Since the Pera d'Abruzzo is naturally low in acid and meaty, hardly any salt is used in the passata.
In addition to tomatoes, the company produces olive oil of the Aprutino Pescarese DOP denomination. The oil was awarded the "Tre Olive" by Slow Food in 2008 — a seal of quality that is only awarded to producers with proven quality and varietal purity. The entire operation works according to organic guidelines and carries both the Biologico and DOP certifications. All raw materials come from Italian cultivation; the processing procedures follow the HACCP protocol with their own strict internal standards.
What Fragassi brings to the glass and the plate
The range is divided into several lines: Tenuta Fragassi includes extra virgin olive oil, flavored oils, bruschetta sauces, pâtés, and pestos. The Pera d'Abruzzo line includes the passata and ready-made sauces from the house variety of the same name. Ester Fragassi is responsible for the recipes — she develops every sauce with the aim of reflecting the cuisine of Abruzzese grandmothers: no frills, no flavor concentrates, but recognizable ingredients and a clear regional signature. The ready-made sauces — including Arrabbiata, Napoletana, Ortolana, and Mediterranea — follow this principle: few, good ingredients, short ingredient list, homemade character.
