Italian Land and Nature:
The National Park of Abruzzo
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The Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo was established in 1923 to protect nature and to save certain wild animals from extinction. It’s in the heart of the central Apennines between the Abruzzi, Lazio and Molise and its some 50,000 hectares are home to 25 towns.
The scenery here is characterized by mountain chains, karst phenomena, rivers (including the Sangro River) and streams. It’s the ideal place to spend pleasant days in close contact with nature and to admire uncontaminated landscapes, a rich flora and varied fauna. It is here that certain species such as the Marsican brown bear (40 bears), golden eagle, Apennine wolf, deer, otter and chamois have found refuge and their habitat amongst remote valleys and inaccessible mountains.
A journey through the towns of Abruzzo in the park could start in Pescasseroli, the birthplace of philosopher Benedetto Croce and situated in the province of L’Aquila. This town is worth discovering and has many interesting places to explore, from the MuseoNaturalistico to the Animal park home to certain local fauna (born in captivity or injured, treated and rehabilitated at the centre) and the Apennine garden with many flora species and a pond. Your tour should also include the 12th-century abbey of Santi Pietro e Paolo, which has been restored several times and houses a wooden statue of a Black Madonna. Finally, many winter sports can be enjoyed in Pescasseroli thanks to its modern ski facilities.