Gran Sasso and cinema.

Discovering the most famous places.

1. Campo Imperatore: Known as the "Little Tibet of Italy", Campo Imperatore is a vast plain surrounded by the peaks of the Gran Sasso. It is a paradise for nature lovers and outdoor activities, offering opportunities for hiking, trekking and mountain biking. 'Small Tibet', so is known as the largest plateau in the Apennine area. At an altitude of 1800 meters it is a wild place, characterized by endless meadows frequented by flocks of sheep and herds of horses in freedom, rolling hills, canyons and sporadic bodies of water surrounded by some of the highest peaks of the Apennines. Take your time to fully enjoy it: he will be able to give the attentive observer a multitude of indescribable emotions in all seasons. Right here were filmed most of the outdoor scenes of two cult films of the spaghetti western strand, namely 'They called him Trinity' and the sequel 'They kept calling him Trinity'. A curiosity: on the other side of the plateau is the hotel of Campo Imperatore, Benito Mussolini's prison from August 28 to September 12, 1943, today the reference point for the ski resorts and for the main excursions on the Gran Sasso.

2. Ristoro Mucciante: Before arriving at Campo Imperatore, along the State Road that leads from Castel Del Monte to Fonte Vetica, we reach a place that has become a real legend for some years: the Ristoro Mucciante, a wooden building, a meeting place for campers, motorcyclists and hikers, where the fun lies in being able to cook the meat on the spot and obviously you can't leave without having tasted the famous arrosticini! A mandatory stop for those who like to be in company and share a bit of goliardic spirit, in a classic high mountain setting. Curiosity: it was built to house the “Way Station Café”, the autogrill of the Texaco gas station where the protagonists of the film “Autostop rosso sangue” by Festa Campanile stop to refuel during a trip to California.After the filming of the film, the “gas station” was taken over by Giulio Mucciante who just a stone's throw had a small shop.

3. Lago di Campotosto: This artificial lake is surrounded by mountains and offers enchanting scenery. It is an ideal place for a pleasant walk along its banks or to practice fishing. Surrounded by mountains and the northern side of the Gran Sasso d'Italia, in the province of L'Aquila is the lake of Campotosto located between the homonymous municipality and Capitignano: it is an artificial basin - which is part of the network of electrical systems of the Vomano Valley - created by the barrier of the Rio Fucino through two dams and the and the natural flooding of the peat area between the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga. We are over 1,300 meters high with an area of 1,400 hectares surrounded by meadows and woods and a vegetation rich in colors and scents that make the lake a perfect postcard shot as well as a destination for tourists and fans of water sports such as fishing, canoeing and windsurfing. Beware, however, the entire area of the lake is part of a nature reserve with a precious ecosystem populated by rare migratory birds such as the ash heron and the royal germany, and its waters are inhabited by wild ducks and particular fish such as the whitefish and the barbel and various trout families. On a floating platform, in 2021, the piano and strings concert by Ludovico Einaudi took place, a concert-experience that changed the perception of a place, a landscape, a territory, giving the shores of the magnificent lake the magic of art. "It will be difficult to go back to the theaters, after playing in these places where everything is mixed, music together with nature, at sunset, at this wind that accompanies us," said Einaudi, an enthusiast of Campotsosto,

4. Rocca Calascio: Rocca Calascio, a small hamlet of the Abruzzo town of Calascio, is an ancient but fascinating village of medieval origin that rises on a height at 1460 meters above sea level. Located about three kilometers from the municipality of Calascio, Rocca Calascio is home to a fortress that was built around the twelfth century in a strategic position that made it possible to control the Abruzzo valleys. This place, in fact, was a crucial military observation point that allowed you to spot any enemy attacks and was also in communication with the other watchtowers in the area. Following a violent earthquake that occurred in the eighteenth century, Rocca Calascio was largely destroyed and, after this episode, the population decided to move further downstream to the current town of Calascio. With the passing of the years, unfortunately, the fortress was gradually abandoned until the eighties when this place was again rediscovered and enhanced. The magical atmosphere that distinguishes this village, its history and the magnificent surrounding views have made Rocca Calascio not only a much sought-after destination in Abruzzo but also a perfect set where some famous directors have set scenes from famous films. Thanks also to this interest, the Castle of Rocca Calascio has been subjected to restoration work while some houses of the ancient medieval village have been converted into accommodation facilities. - https://turismo.abruzzo.it/laquila/rocca-calascio/ According to some sources the Castle of Rocca Calascio was built by Roger II d'Altavilla in the twelfth Its position, which sees it located between the Campo Imperatore plateau, the Tirino valley and the Navelli plateau, made this fortress a real center of strategic control. Over the centuries the Castle was owned by several noble families such as the Pagliara, the Colonna, the Piccolomini, the Todeschini, the Cattaneo, the Medici and the Bourbons who changed the appearance of the building several times. In the fifteenth century, under the property of Antonio Todeschini of the Piccolomini family, the city walls and four cylindrical towers with Ghibelline battlement were built. The structure, therefore, which had been built entirely in local white stone consisted of a central keep of ancient origin, four circular base corner towers and a wall circle. The location of this castle made it possible to control the entire surrounding territory not only for defensive purposes but also to control the paths related to transhumance. Following the renovations carried out in the eighties, which allowed an architectural-functional recovery of the structure, the Castle can now be visited for free. From up there it is also possible to admire one of the most evocative views of Abruzzo that includes the main mountain groups of the Apennines. To the north, in fact, you can see the entire Gran Sasso chain, to the south-east the Majella and to the south-west the Sirente-Velino. - https://turismo.abruzzo.it/laquila/rocca-calascio The small village of Rocca Calascio stands along the road that connects Santo Stefano di Sessanio to the This village was born because the modest size of the castle could not accommodate the entire population who therefore resided outside the fortress. Access to the Castle was guaranteed by a wooden drawbridge that is no longer present today and has been replaced by a wooden ramp. After a series of violent earthquakes the highest part of the town, the one closest to the Castle, was abandoned between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, while the lowest part was left only after the shock of 1793 that led the population to move to Calascio. The village is small, collected and characterized by narrow streets surrounded by white stone buildings and small churches. The wonderful natural scenography in which the Castle is inserted has conquered over the years screenwriters, directors and actors who have chosen this location as a film set for several films. Even before the structure was restored, films such as Amici miei– Act IIº (1982) and Ladyhawke (1985) were set here with Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. Later the Castle hosted the set of works such as Il nome della rosa (1986) with Sean Connery, L'orizzonte degli eventi (2005) and other films both Italian and international. -https://turismo.abruzzo.it/laquila/rocca-calascio/. Picture taken from: https://www.virtuquotidiane.it/cultura/due-miti-insieme-per-sempre-rocca-calascio-e-ladyhawke.html