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A suggested itinerary through the main Abruzzese protected areas |
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Oasis and preserves inside the Gran Sasso-Laga National Park |
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The system of the abruzzese protected area The central Apennine represents geographically the heart of the peninsula and we can say that today it is a green heart because large piedmont and mountain areas are protected under. The Abruzzese Apennine, thanks to the configuration of the land and the presence of mountain districts has a primary role in the protection policy. In Abruzzo there are three National Parks and a regional park and 38 regional and national oasis and preserves. The 30% of the regional territory is under environmental protection. It is of a European interest because these protected areas are linked to the northern national park of Sibillini mountains.
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A suggested itinerary through the main Abruzzese protected areas |
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Abruzzo is well known all over the world for its National Park. The other parks are Gran Sasso-Laga national Park, Majella National Park and Velino-Sirente Regional Park. A good starting point is Pescasseroli, the capital of the Park. Here you are in the heart of the Park, surrounded by mountains covered with woods where a real wild fauns is present. Any season is good for excursions. Marked paths lead you towards unforgettable excursions to the Camosciara, to the Cicerasna Valley, the Val Fondillo. These are among the most famous. It is worth visiting the historical centres of the Park and the lake of Barrea. You can rediscover a sensation of intimacy and a full immersion in the Nature going from Villetta Barrea to Passo Godi. From here, going down to Scanno, ancient pastoral village where you find an important historical centre, women wearing traditional costumes, the lake attached to the village the goldsmith’s art and the delicious gastronomy. The road goes down from Scanno and immediately gets onto one of the most spectacular gorges of the Apennines with spectacular splendid scenery. Then from Anversa degli Abruzzi Majella is looming at distance and you can get there going past Sulmona a famous town for its sugar almonds and goldsmith’s art. From Sulmona you go ahead towards Pacentro, a small centre marked by the towers of the castle. From here a narrow winding road leads you to Passo San Leonardo the heart of the Majella National Park. You are now surrounded by green prairies, ancient woods, innumerable tracks ending on the top of the mountains reminding lunar sites rich in glacial circles. You are now in one of the wildest and most solitary places in the pninsula. From Passo San Leonardo you can reach Pescocostanzo which deserves a visit for its interesting historical centre and you can go on, then, towards Palena, charachterised by gorges and canyons flanked by ditches ending in green wooded hills; you can also go towards Caramanico, a thermal centre and a good starting point to a guided visit to Orfento Valley one of the most intereting and preserved places. Here you can visit the gorge of Santo Spirito, the Giumentina Valley the hermits of medieval origin from the monastic tradition. From Caramanico the road goes down towards Val Pescara, in a soft hilly environment. From here you follow the road to Alanno, characterized by the harmony of a rural landscape, and then to Pietranico and Forca di Penne. You are now in the Gran Sasso – Laga National Park. From Forca di Penne, a solitary mountain road leads to Castel del Monte and the Highland of Campo Imperatore. You have in front of you now a striking landscape for its solemn stillness and its width , for the alpine majesty of Corno Grande, the highest peak of the Appennines. From Campo Imperatore you can either go down along the side of l’Aquila where, on the way, you meet Medieval villages and towers, or you can take a road and flanked by woods towards Castelli, a village famous for its pottery since the Renaissance. From Castelli, you are now in an environment which summarizes the high mountain tones with the best hilly landscape. You go ahead skirting the Gran Sasso Massif towards Montorio al Vomano. From here you can go on towards Passo delle Capannelle. Here the group of the mountains of the Laga starts, and you are now in the heart of the National Park, with its falls, thick woods and endless prairies among brown sandstone rocks. When you get to Passo delle Capannelle you can visit the lake of Campotosto, the valley of Chiarino and the small villages up in the mountains. The road goes down towards l’Aquila and from here it is easy to get to the highland delle Rocche, that is the heart of the Regional Sirente-Velino Park and soon after Fonte Anatella and the highland of Sirente where the itinerary goes on among soft grassy prairies loomed by a long, rocky plateau. Then you go on towards Secinaro and towards the Subequana Valley dotted by villages like cribs and covered with woods and marked by towers and castles. The road takes you again towards l’Aquila where our itinerary in the green heart of the peninsula ends |
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Echo-compatible agriculture typical product of the parks The Abruzzese preserved areas protect the 30% of the regional products in environments characterised by mountains. Height, climate, snow and above all the mountainous environment are the basic conditions which rule agriculture. The Abruzzese territory privilege the agro-zootechnical and agro-forest aspect. Wide areas were cleared of trees to give place to sheep-breeding and then, in 700 and 800 to high-mountain cultivation. Nowadays everything has changed, high-mountain fields have been abandoned and very often they have been re-conquered by wide woods. Even sheep breeding has diminished. There has been, as a consequence, a selection and acclimatization of numerous types of plants and production of different types of cheese. Various mountain products are: the lentils of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, the chick-peas of Navelli, the beans of Frattura, the saffron of l’Aquila, the chickling peas of Castelvecchio Calvisio, triticum dicoccum emmer of Montereale, the mountain rye and distichous barley. The Abruzzo National Park and the Sirente regional Park are situated in the inner part of the region, while the Gran Sasso- Laga Park and the Majella Park stretch through the eastern Apennine axis so they are positively affected by sea climate. That’s why in the Gran Sasso Park the Mediterranean olive trees can be cultivated. Other productions susceptible of development are those concerning almonds, nuts, chestnuts, mushrooms and truffles. As regards to the various types of cheese, Abruzzo boasts the famous Pecorino cheese obtainable in every mountain area. Many producers have enlarged the production with original types of cheese as: mountain grass cheese, strong (marcetto), curds, fresh and smoked ricotta. Noteworthy is the production of goat and cow’s cheese. Among these we have scamorza from Majella, caciocavallo from Piano delle cinque miglia and the highlands of the Sangro River. On the Abruzzese mountain areas lasts a tradition specialised in salami production. In addition to meat and liver sausages there the special mortadella from Campotosto, ventricina from Gran Sasso and Majella Parks and the peculiar sheep salami. In the Abruzzese parks particularly important is the beekeeping from which different kinds of honey is produced. A culture which must be recuperated is that of the apples and pears like red apple from Montereale, meloncella from Bisegna, mela gelata from Farindola and mela piana from Caramanico. The agriculture in the park areas is run according to the tradition which respects rotation, cooperation without using herbicide or pesticide, while manuring is made with organic manure. In conclusion the agriculture in the Abruzzese parks , is based on the great tradition which has delivered us a rich inheritance of typical products obtained in healthy environment and following echo-compatible techniques |
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