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THE ABRUZZO, LAZIO AND MOLISE NATIONAL PARK

Paths, Places, Nature, Sky and Earth

(Part I)

with  “The secrets of Abruzzo”

Nature and animal lovers should know that there are only a few places left in Italy where you can have adventurous experiences and discover the secrets and beauties of wild territories.

The National Park is mostly included in the territory of “L'Aquila” province of Abruzzo, and for the rest, in “Frosinone” province of “Lazio” and “Isernia” in “Molise”. We’re  talking about 40,000 hectares of land and a fauna that offers peculiarities of exceptional value: the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise, host of springs and waterfalls, of millennial history and life.

The Park primarily consists of a set of mountain ranges, including Mount “Marsicano”, the “Montagna Grande”, the chain of “Petroso” and “Meta”, “Monte Greco”, and others, all with an altitude between 900 and 2,200 m. o.s.l. and which landscapes alternate rounded peaks and steep slopes with a typical alpine look.

The central area of the Park is crossed by the “Sangro” river, in which various streams of clear water flow; in the outermost area the waters of the “Giovenco” and “Melfa” river flow, the impressive spring of the “Volturno”, near “Rocchetta al Volturno” and those of “Posta Fibreno” in the upper “Ciociaria”.

Still among the immortal springs, according to local legends, we find the “Tornareccia” spring (“Triareccia” for the Romans, sacred to the moon considered triform) that together with the “Sfranatara” spring are among the main springs that include the “Fondillo” river (from the word "fontilli meaning small springs). Alongside these springs, dozens of small and large perennial springs, renovate the prodigy of water flowing out of the ground creating spectacular waterfalls and caves. One of the most exciting waterfalls to see is the Nymphs in  “Valle Jannanghera-Monte Amaro”.

Inside the Park, we also find two lakes: the artificial lake of “Barrea” which covers an area of about 303 hectares developed over a length of 4.6 km and 500 meters in width, located at an altitude of about 980 m. o.s.l. The storage capacity is about twenty-five million cubic meters of water supplied by the “Sangro” river. Lake “Vivo” instead is of natural origin and in spring, with the snow melting, reaches its maximum level; the name "Vivo", meaning alive, derives from the fact that the lake continuously changes its dimensions according to the seasons. In late autumn, the season of love, the lake banks are frequented by deer searching for their mates. On the left margin of the plateau the "Fonte Degli Uccelli” (Birds Springs), guarantees water all year round.

It’s possible to admire areas with black pine (Pinus Nigra), larch (Larix Deciduas), spruce (Picea Excelsa) and numerous glades, with very rich blooms, especially in spring. While walking we can notice glacial cirques, left until our present days, the marks of glaciations, moraines and erratic boulders on the Meta Mountains, on the “Marsicano” and on the “Greco”.

Even more exciting are the enormous erosive phenomena produced by rainwater and rivers that, cracking the fragile rock, forge deep gorges, like the one at “Foce di Barrea”, a spectacular five-kilometer gorge crossed by the “Sangro” river that, after having formed the homonymous artificial lake, roaringly reaches the alluvial plain between “Alfedena” and “Castel di Sangro”, between vertiginous vertical walls.

Since 1917 the localities of “Opi, Pescasseroli, Civitella Alfedena, Bisegna, Gioia dè Marsi, Lecce nei Marsi”, and “Villa Vallelonga”, thanks to the establishment of the park, have evolved without upsetting the natural habitat of the species present in the park and without losing the genuineness of their traditions and professions in the territory since ancient times, showing that an equilibrium between man and the environment is possible.

In this first article "THE SECRETS OF ABRUZZO" introduced the NATIONAL PARK OF ABRUZZO, LAZIO, AND MOLISE with its endless resources and attractions, and it is only the first of a long series of articles, that will be dedicated to this genuine territory where adventures never end.

The article was also written with information source from the listed sites below.

www.parcoabruzzo.it

www.valfondillo.it

www.wikipedia.org

Giuseppe Libero

"THE SECRETS OF ABRUZZO"