Abruzzo is a “strong but gentle” land,
famous for its mountains and its colours. Sport Village Hotel is
situated in a strategic zone, from where you
can easily reach the surrounding places and countries.
Lake of Barrea
The lake has been formed by the barrage over the Sangro river, nearby its mouth in Barrea (to which the lake owes its name). Three towns overlook its shores: Barrea, Civitella Alfedena, and Villetta Barrea. These fascinating places preserve still intact the essence of the old Apennine villages that once stood near the zone that has become today’s National Park of Abruzzo.
In particular, in Barrea you can find an ancient Benedictine monastery,
Saint Thomas church (built in the 15th century), the church of
the Madonna del Lago, and the Medieval Tower. Furthermore, in Barrea
there is the famous Predator Centre, a charming place with the
most important panoramic viewpoints over the gorges of the river
mouth.
Civitella Alfedena
As for Civitella Alfedena, it houses the Museum of
the Apennine wolf and the surrounding faunal areas are home to several
specimens of wolf and lynx. Finally, in Villetta Barrea you
can visit interesting 16th century houses and the churches of Saint
Mary, Saint Michael, Saint Sebastian and Saint Rocco.
Last but not least, the lake of Barrea is a starting point for various
excursions along the paths among the mountains, where you can go
looking for the fauna inside the Park.
Scanno
Laying on a spur, at the centre of one of the most beautiful valleys of L’Aquila, that of Sagittarius, it is the home of winter and summer sports.
Photographers like Cartier-Bresson, Giacomelli and Scianna have immortalized its views and its people. The most important monument is the church of Santa Maria della Valle, whose interior is composed of marble and wooden items from the 18th century, works of famous artists from Pescocostanzo and Bencivenga, a woodworker of Raiano.
Other important sacred buildings are Saint Eustachio (with interiors
in baroque style), Santa Maria delle Grazie and S. Antonio of Padova,
enriched with frescos of the early 18th century, by Giambattista
Gamba.
In the surroundings, the small suggestive church of
Madonna del Lago is a site worth visiting: it lies on the shores
of the lake that owes its name to Scanno.
Pescasseroli
Founded by the Peligni population (who called the village
Pesculum Seroli, meaning “rock near the river Sangro”), Pescasseroli is
situated in the upper Sangro Valley and is the seat of the head offices
of the National Park of Abruzzo. It is here, in fact, that rare animals
such as the Marsicano brown bear, Apennine wolf, and chamois have
found their habitat.
In the town centre, that has preserved its
original structure, you can find the 19th century building Palazzo
Sipari, Benedetto Croce’s birthplace.
Roccaraso
Among the most renowned mountain resorts in central and southern Italy, Roccaraso offers never-ending ski tracks. It provides excellent accommodation facilities and is worth visiting in summer too, when you can admire its splendid landscapes and the suggestive woods of the National Park of the Majella. In the middle Ages Roccaraso was famous for the Benedictine monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno.
