- Campo Imperatore
Campo Imperatore is a mountain
grassland formed by a high basin shapedplateau located in theProvince of L'Aquila in theAbruzzo region ofItaly in theGran Sasso massif. It is the largest plateau of the Apennine ridge. Known as Italy's "Little Tibet", Campo Imperatore has atectonic origin shaped by alluviums andglacier s. The nature preserve is part of theGran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park . The plateau, which is 27 km in length and an average of 8 km in width, lies adjacent to the Apennines' highest peakCorno Grande , and Europe's southernmost glacier, the Calderone; also surrounding the plateau are Monte Prena, Monte Aquila, and the Camicia Mountains to the north and Monte Scindarella, Mesola and Monte Bolza to the south.The plateau's altitude ranges from 1500 to 1900 meters. It covers an expanse of approximately 80 km². Campo Imperatore is home to one of Italy's oldest alpine
ski resort s. Located on the plateau's western edge, the resort began commercial operation in the 1920s and continues to thrive as a ski resort to this day due to its proximity toRome (132 km or an hour-and-a-half by car). The resort became dictatorBenito Mussolini 's prison in August 1943 with his fall from power until he was freed by German commandos in September 1943. On the eastern side of the plateau is a 4 km cross country ski trail, which is maintained by the nearby town of Castel del Monte.On the southeastern side of Campo Imperatore are medieval
hill town s once ruled by theMedici s, Castel Del Monte andSanto Stefano di Sessanio as well as the ruin of one of Europe's highest fortresses,Rocca Calascio .In spring, summer and fall, shepherds from these neighboring hill towns maintain herds of sheep, "semi-wild" horses, and cattle in the plateau. The pastures are covered with field grasses and meadowland wild flowers. Campo Imperatore is also home to the AlpineBotanical Garden of Campo Imperatore. Founded in 1952, the garden is devoted to cultivation and study of some 300 species indigenous mountainous plants, including rare and endangered plant species, among them "Vaccinium gaultherioides", Yellow Gentiana, ("Gentiana lutea "),Edelweiss of the Appennines ("Leontopodium nivale"), and "Adonis distorta" -- all plants that have adapted to Campo Imperatore's unique environment. Campo Imperatore is also the habitat for the Apenninewolf , Apenninewildcat and the Abruzzochamois . Nearly extinct, the Abruzzo chamois, which naturalists consider one of the most beautiful varieties of chamois, is making a comeback through a joint effort by WWF Italia and the administration of the Gran Sasso National Park. Other species of wildlife includewild boar ,fox es,grass snake s, and a wide variety of bird life includinggolden eagle s and peregrinefalcon s.Also located on the high plateau, taking advantage of the elevation and absence of man-made light, is the
Campo Imperatore Near-Earth Objects Survey (CINEOS), anobservatory built in 1951, which forms a branch of theRome Observatory .Campo Imperatore has been popular with
film makers. The location has been used in more than twenty major films, among them "The Name of the Rose", "Krull ", "Ladyhawke", "Il sole anche di notte", and "L'Armata ritorna".External links
* [http://scienze.univaq.it/GiardinoBotanicoAlpino/ Alpine Botanical Garden of Campo Imperatore]
* [http://www.ilgransasso.it/ Gran Sasso Tourism Center]
* [http://www.alpitalia.net/localita.php?id=112 Campo Imperatore Ski Center]
* [http://sirio.rm.astro.it/cimperatore/ Campo Imperatore Observatory]
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