Alfedena. The Montagna Spaccata lake
2023
The Montagna Spaccata lake is a small artificial lake on the southern borders of Abruzzo. It is located entirely in the province of L'Aquila, in the municipality of Alfedena.
You may also like
2018
Rocca Calascio (AQ) - Santa Maria della Pietà
Near Rocca Calascio, on the path that leads to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, is the church of Santa Maria della Pietà, a small temple built in 1596 on the place where, according to legend, the local population had the best of a band of brigands . The church, probably founded on a pre-existing Renaissance aedicule, has an octagonal external structure with an environment used as a sacristy leaning against one of the facades and a dome with eight segments. The interior, articulated on a system of Tuscan pilasters, presents a painting depicting the Miraculous Virgin and a sculpture of San Michele armed. The church, now used as a simple oratory, is a destination for faithful and devotees.
2024
Morro D’Oro. The church of S. Maria di Propezzano
The church of Santa Maria di Propezzano is a Romanesque-style Catholic place of worship in Abruzzo located in the Vomano valley, in the municipality of Morro d'Oro, in the province of Teramo.
2024
Albe, Massa d’Albe, L’Aquila. Church of San Nicola
Built in 1602, the facade is made of stone blocks and features a Gothic-style rose window. The door is surmounted by a lunette with a painting of St. Nicholas and the Madonna with Child.
2017
Mainarde
Mountain range which, compared to the Abruzzo National Park, extends from north to south and whose crests delimit the border between Lazio (west) and Molise (east). Due to its importance both from a naturalistic and faunistic point of view, the mountain range was inserted by presidential decree in the Abruzzo National Park in January 1990. It includes high altitude peaks that are around 2000 meters: Monte Meta (2241), Monte Metuccia, Coste dell'Altare, Monte Mare (2020), Monte Cavallo (2039), Monte Forcellone (2030). The Mainarde, like the rest of the Apennine mountains, are very ancient and of limestone origin. On them the erosion of winds and waters has left clear traces in gorges, gullies and beautiful potholes of the giants, the latter very clearly visible by anyone who looks out from the viewpoint of San Michele. Covered by dense arboreal vegetation (beech groves) up to an altitude of 1800-1900 meters, the Mainarde - beyond this altitude - offer a spectacular turf, ideal habitat for particular types of endangered fauna such as the Abruzzo chamois the Marsican brown bear, the Apennine wolf and the lynx.
2018
Caporciano (AQ) S. Maria di Centurelli
The church is located in the fork between the tratturo L'Aquila-Foggia and the tratturo Centurelle-Montesecco, making it a strategic structure in the period in which transhumance played a fundamental role in the economy of southern Italy.
2023
Abruzzo, Italy. Spectacular autumnal landscapes
Abruzzo is an Italian region located east of Rome, between the Adriatic and the Apennines. The hinterland is mostly made up of national parks and nature reserves. The region also includes medieval and Renaissance villages perched on the hills. The regional capital, L'Aquila, is a city surrounded by walls, damaged by the earthquake of 2009. The Costa dei Trabocchi, with its sandy coves, takes its name from the traditional fishing jetties.
2018
Sulmona (AQ)
Sulmona (formerly Sulmo, Sulmóne in Abruzzo) is an Italian town of 24 076 inhabitants in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo. It is the third most populous municipality in the province (behind L'Aquila and Avezzano) and the eleventh in the region. Located in the heart of Abruzzo, close to the Majella National Park, Sulmona is known worldwide for its centuries-old tradition in the production of sugared almonds. It is also the bishopric of the homonymous diocese Sulmona-Valva. Formerly oppidum of the Peligni, later a Roman municipality, in 43 BC. Sulmo was the birthplace of the Latin poet Publio Ovidio Nasone. In the Middle Ages, by the will of Frederick II, it was from 1233 to 1273 the seat of the execution of Abruzzo. It is among the cities decorated with military valor for the war of liberation, awarded the Silver Medal for the sacrifices of its populations and for its activity in the partisan struggle during the Second World War.
2017
Opi (AQ)
Opi (Opjë IPA: [ˈopjə], in Opian dialect) is a town of about 408 inhabitants in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo. Its medieval village is included in the protected area of the national park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. It is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
The town is located in the middle of the mountainous group of the Marsicani Mountains, in the center of a mountainous amphitheater formed to the north-east by Monte Marsicano (2,245 m asl) and to the south-east by Monte Amaro (1,862 m) and Monte Petroso (2,249 m asl) . The main watercourse that crosses the municipal territory is the Sangro river that rises on the slopes of Mount Morrone del Diavolo (1,602 m a.s.l.), in the locality of Gioia Vecchio di Gioia dei Marsi. The Sangro, after crossing a flat area called Le Prata, enters a gorge between the Opi hill (1,250 m a.s.l.) and Monte Marrone (1,354 m a.s.l.) from where it continues its path along the upper Sangro valley.
The Fondillo stream, one of the first tributaries of the Sangro river, which gives its name to the valley of the same name, arises from one of the numerous karst springs present in the Opiano territory. The rugged nature of the wooded mountains has allowed the survival of a rich and varied fauna.
2021
La Camosciara Nature Reserve.
La Camosciara is an extensive nature reserve with trails for experienced hikers and beginners, suggestive views and wildlife. It is an integral part of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park
2023
Stiffe Caves, Abruzzo, Italy
The Stiffe caves are a complex of karst caves located near Stiffe, in the territory of the municipality of San Demetrio ne' Vestini (AQ), in Abruzzo, included within the Sirente-Velino regional natural park. Testimony of a unique active resurgence in Italy, made accessible to the public since 1991, today they constitute one of the main naturalistic sites of the L'Aquila area, recording over 40,000 visitors annually. The Stiffe caves represent one of the best-known karst phenomena in central Italy. The complex has been used since the Bronze Age even if archaeological remains have been found inside it dating back to the Neolithic and Eneolithic. The presence of an underground stream that gave rise to the complex led, in 1907 and on the initiative of the Marquis Alfonso Cappelli, to the construction of a hydroelectric plant of which some remains are still visible today near the entrance to the cavities. In 1956, when the plant was dismantled, the first speleological explorations began; after a first visit in 1957, the following year it was the Marche Speleological Group of Ancona that went beyond the first natural siphon. Subsequently, the Roman Speleological Group and, starting from the eighties, the Aquilano Speleological Group continued the first exploration attempts. The speleological excursions were then followed by a process of valorisation of the site which led to the opening of the complex to the public in 1991. In 1994 a mixed group of speleologists from L'Aquila and France managed to access for the first time the unexplored area after the first waterfall while in 1996 the speleology museum named after Vincenzo Rivera was opened. A second extension of the tourist route, up to the current length of about 700 m, was made in 2007 with the opening of the second waterfall to visitors, while the extension of the explored part of the cavity exceeds one kilometre. From 1996 to 2018 the site was managed by the public-private company Progetto Stiffe S.p.A. while it is currently managed directly by the Municipality of San Demetrio ne' Vestini. The 2009 earthquake led to a closure of the caves for safety reasons; the complex was only reopened to the public in 2011.