When philanthropist and pioneering hotelier Daniele Kihlgren first set eyes on the then-abandoned medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the Southern Italian region of Abruzzo, he described the experience as one that changed his life. "It seemed as though everything had frozen in time. Neither the medieval hamlet nor the rural scenery surrounding it revealed any evidence of the 20th century’s passing," described Kihlgren. From this relic, Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, an astounding hotel, was born. Kihlgren worked with local architects and archaeologists to ensure that every step of the development remained true to the original. Any added contemporary amenities have been hidden or elegantly integrated. The heating system, for instance, has been installed under the floors by removing and later replacing each stone in its initial location. Regional furnishing has been replicated, while the guestrooms are spread along the narrow, cobblestone streets of the village.