The territory of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise consists primarily of a series of mountain ranges with an altitude between 900 and 2200 m above sea level.
The mountains of the park present a varied and interesting landscape in which rounded peaks, typical of Appennino are alternated to slopes cliffs with typical alpine aspect. The central area of the park is crossed by the Sangro river, in which several streams flow; in the most external area drain, instead, the waters of the Giovenco, Melfa, Volturno and other rivers.

Because of the karst phenomena, waters often flow in underground beds and rise again downstream, sometimes even outside the territory of the park. Inside the park there are two lake basins: the artificial lake barrea fed by Sangro river and the lake Vivo of natural origin. The latter is located in a depression of tectonic origin that is about 1600 m above sea level. Being fueled in part by its own sources and partly by the melting snow, its size follow seasonal trends.
The territory of the Park in the past was shaped by the phenomena of karst and glacial periods, today witnessed by the presence of glacial cirques in the upper valleys, moraine deposits, caves, cracks and dolines. The rocks of the park are mostly of calcareous nature. In the area of the Camosciara there is the dolomia, a type of rock which, being waterproof, allows water to flow to the surface giving rise to picturesque waterfalls and pools of water.

In the most important findings, such as the Marsicano Mount, the Big Mountain, the chain of Petroso and Meta, the Greek Mount, signs of major events in the history of the Earth, are sculpted, in visible form. They have affected the morphology of the territory up to present day. Where 160 million years ago, mighty coral reefs  were  submerged in warm tropical seas, today we can admire the imposing mass. Rainwater penetrate into the bowels of the mountains, get rich with precious minerals and form large emergencies located at the base of the mountain. Significant and suggestive are the sources of the Volturno, near Rocchetta  of Volturno, or those in high Fibreno Post Ciociaria, which forme aquatic habitats of rare natural value.

FLORA

The flora of the park, is so rich and interesting, that has always been a subject of study. In  total, you can list about 2,000 species of higher plants that is without considering mosses, lichens, algae and fungi.
Among the floristic peculiarities, stands out the Iris (Iris Marsica) an endemism of the park, which grows only in certain locations and that flowers between May and June.

There are also numerous and colorful orchids, of which the most beautiful, largest and rarest is certainly represented by the Venus’s shoe or Pianella della Madonna (Cypripedium calceolus), which blooms in the furthest corners, between May and June.

Another rarity is undoubtedly represented by black pine of Barrea Villetta (Pinus nigra), a relict species probably dating to the Tertiary; it is a unique variety of the park, located in some areas of Camosciara and Val Fondillo. Among the spontaneous conifers, there are also the mugo pine (Pinus mugo), a glacial relict that occupies the vegetation area between the beech forest and the prairie of altitude, localized mainly in the same area.

Another peculiarity of the park is represented by a small station of birches (Betula pendula), located at Barrea in a place called Dark Coppo. It is a relict species, typical of quaternary glacial epochs, which testifies the cold vegetation once predominant on the Appennino Mountains.

But the predominant plant landscape of the park consists of beech forests: the scientific name of this species, Fagus sylvatica recalls the spontaneous origin of this species on the Apennine mountains of Italy, where the presence of beech trees dating back tens of centuries ago . The beech tree is the most common of the park and usually grows between 900 and 1800 meters of altitude. The beech forests occupy more than 60% of the surface of the park and help to create a landscape rich in colors that vary with the passing of the seasons.

Shape and size of beech trees vary with the altitude, age and soil fertility conditions. The abundant litter present in the beech forest plays an important role: during the summer it prevents the soil  from drying, while in winter protects it from frost. Furthermore, decomposing through the action of insects and microorganisms, helps to enrich the soil of humus.

The beech trees manifest a variety of issues: from squat and age-old trees, to high and straight trunks.
These trees, if they could talk, would tell long and complex stories, made of heavy intervention by man, with cuts and irrational logging occurred since the most remote epochs. But the most difficult period for these forests was one of the so-called ‘economic miracle’, when there were cuts of industrial type. Through the use of resources and latest technology, forests suffered a dangerous destruction that didn’t benefit local people and culture of the forest.

Beyond the limit of the forests you can meet the Dwarf Juniper (Juniperus communis nana) and wrecks of the northern moorland as the bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and Ursina grape (ArctostaphyIos grape-ursl), revealing the presence, in past times, of a top layer of  coniferous vegetation.  The grasslands of altitude – which together with meadows and glades cover over 30% of the total area of the park – are typical of the upper mountains and occupy ridges and summits at around 1900-2000 meters. Here the vegetation is composed primarily of several species of Gramineae and Ciperacee which accompany in the warm season the greater yellow gentian and many other species: gentians, primroses, cyclamen, violets, anemones, sciliar, lilies, orchids, buttercups.

Are particularly showy, the Red Lily (Lilium bulbiferum croceum), typical of sunny and dry slopes, the Martagon Lily (Lilium martagon), which grows in the less dense beech woods, the Aquilegia (Aquilegia ottonis), abundant in pastures and fallow land, the Apennine Gentian (Gentiana Dinaric), of an intense blue, and the aforementioned Marsica Iris.

The most famous flower of the park is undoubtedly the Venus’s shoe, or Pianella Madonna (Cypripedium calceolus), a yellow and black orchid located in the heart of the reserve. This plant, which grows even in the alpine village, risks the extinction because of the unnecessary collection by not educated tourists, so it’s necessary to protect it.

FAUNA

After years of intolerance and persecution, it is now defended in its entirety, thanks to both education and protection, carried out by Ente of Park in recent years. For visitors it is not easy to spot the animals, because they are mostly elusive, evasive and circumspect, perhaps remembering the negative experiences with humans. However, in some seasons and under specific circumstances (quiet, silence and respect for the environment), you can observe the most spectacular and representative animals of the park, like the Chamois of Abruzzo, the Brown Marsicano Bear, the Wolf , the Deer and the Golden Eagle.

Today the park hosts a wide variety of animals that once occupied a much wider area of Appennino Mountains: 60 species of mammals, 300 birds, 40 reptiles, amphibians and fishes, and many species of insects.

How to arrive there

By car:

- For those coming from Rome, you can use the highway A24/A25 Rome-L’Aquila-Pescara, exiting at Celano or Pescina and continuing to Bisegna (or to Gioia dei Marsi), or the highway A1 Roma-Napoli, exiting at Frosinone, then moving to Sora Forca d’Acero

- Coming from the south along the highway A1 until the Caianello exit and continuing to Venafro and Alfedena.

By train: the nearest railway stations are Avezzano (Rome-Pescara), and Castel di Sangro (line Sulmona – Castel di Sangro), then by coach.

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