Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park
The Gran Sasso National Park covers 160,000 hectares of which 135,000 in Abruzzo. It includes 44 municipalities. The mountain ranges of the Gran Sasso, Monti della Laga and the twin mountains completely fall within it. Corno Grande, with its 2912 meters of height, is the highest mountain in the Apennines. Also on the Corno Grande we find “il Caldarone”, the only glacier in the Apennines and the southernmost in Europe. To the south of the massif lies the boundless plain of Campo Imperatore, located at an altitude of 1600 metres. The Laga chain, particularly important both from a geological and naturalistic point of view, includes among others the summit of Mount Gorzano (2458 metres). The flora of the Park has a plant heritage of great value; there are beech woods – where wild cherry, holly, mountain maple and yew also live – and chestnut woods with a rich undergrowth of raspberries, blueberries, nightshade, wild orchids and various species of mushrooms . The small silver fir woods (Selva di Cortino, Bosco Maltese, Selva degli abeti) deserve a special mention. The park’s fauna is very varied and is represented by rare species, such as the Apennine wolf, the wild cat and the chamois, recently reintroduced on the Gran Sasso, as well as wild boars, squirrels and foxes, all quite common. Birds of prey include the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon and the goshawk.
Majella National Park
The Majella National Park is characterized by the high mountainousness of its territory, in fact as many as 55% is located at altitudes above 2000 metres. Inside it contains vast areas (widelands), which present peculiar aspects of wild nature (wildland), the most valuable and rare part of the national biodiversity heritage. At the current state of knowledge, the Park hosts over 78% of the mammal species (except Cetaceans) present in Abruzzo, and over 45% of the Italian ones. Considering the lack of data on some large groups such as insectivores and bats, it can already be stated that even with regard to this faunal component, it constitutes a real “hot spot” for the conservation of biodiversity. The 2114 plant entities known for the Park territory are distributed in more than 50 different habitats, located in the various altitudinal planes. The peculiarity of the habitat is given above all by the number of endemisms, which in the Park amount to as many as 142 plant species, largely concentrated in the culminating horizons. In terms of flora, the Park represents the southernmost European sector of the Alpine Region and a real crossroads of genetic flows, with categories of great ecological and phytogeographic prestige: in fact, with over 2,000 floristic entities, the Park hosts 65% of the Abruzzo, 37% of the Italian one and 22% of the European one. The high-altitude environments are also home to species of considerable faunal value, including the Apennine chamois and the Orsini viper, priority species pursuant to the HABITAT Directive/92/43/EEC.
Abruzzo National Park
The territory of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise consists mainly of a set of mountain ranges of altitudes between 900 and 2,200 m above sea level. The mountains of the Park present a varied and interesting landscape in which rounded peaks, typical of the Apennines, alternate with steep slopes with a typical Alpine appearance. The central area of the park is crossed by the Sangro river, to which various streams flow; in the outermost area, on the other hand, the waters of the Giovenco, Melfa, Volturno and other rivers flow. In the marvelous green oasis that today constitutes the Abruzzo National Park, the visitor is ecstatic and happy with a great wealth of plants. The flora of the park is so rich and interesting that it has always been the object of study. Overall, it is possible to list about 2,000 species of higher plants without considering mosses, lichens, algae and fungi. The fauna of the Park offers examples of exceptional value, with species that alone could justify the existence of the protected area. After years of intolerance and persecution, it is today defended in its entirety, thanks to the work, both educational and protective, carried out by the Park Authority in recent years. It is not easy for visitors to spot the animals, because these are mostly elusive, elusive and circumspect, perhaps as a reminder of the negative experience with man. However, in some seasons of the year and in particular circumstances (tranquility, silence and respect for the environment), it is also possible to observe the most spectacular and representative animals of the Park, such as the Abruzzo chamois, the Marsican brown bear, the the deer and the golden eagle