Nothing quite prepares you for Campo Imperatore. It’s located in the Province of L’Aquila in the Gran Sasso massif. I have visited it a few times and on each occasion I was stunned by its natural beauty. The combination of open plains surrounded by tall mountains is astonishing. Every time I have been there I always wish I had more time. Here are some photographs I took while there.
Within easy reach are the town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio and the ruin of one of Europe’s highest fortresses, Rocca Calascio. Both impressive in their own right.
Campo Imperatore has been popular with filmmakers, most notably as a backdrop for the mountain scenes in Spaghetti Westerns. It was also a location for The Name of The Rose and Ladyhawk.
The plateau’s altitude ranges from 1500 to 1900 meters. It covers an expanse of approximately 80 km². It has one of Italy’s oldest alpine ski resorts. 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 to Rome (132 km or an hour-and-a-half by car). 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.
The resort became Benito Mussolini’s prison in August 1943 with his fall from power until he was freed by German commandos in September 1943.
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[...] the Campo Imperatore in the morning (great views from