Overview
There is no end to the surprises Abruzzo has in store for you, but there is one that remains forever in your heart: the revelation of the Campotosto Artificial Lake. Its colours suddenly appear among the curves of State Road 577, a fork in State Road 80 of the Gran Sasso d'Italia. You should try it in order to believe.
A wave of hues - cobalt blue if you arrive in summer, dark green in autumn, silver grey in winter, the combination of all of these in spring - hits you almost violently, while the Gran Sasso, laughs off and seems to say, "You didn't expect it, huh?"
You may feel like you are in Scotland or Iceland, but instead you are in the province of L'Aquila in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. About 1,300 metres of altitude, where the reservoir was created in the late 1930s by raising three dams, Sella Pedicate, Rio Fucino and Poggio Cancelli, because hydroelectric power was needed to feed industry.
A little higher up, at 1420 metres, the village of Campotosto with its hamlets (Mascioni, Poggio Cancelli, and Ortolano) peeks out at the surrounding landscape and its magical vegetation, including holly trees with yellow and red fruit, rare birch trees climbing along the backs of the mountains, and gorse that paints the banks golden in summer.
A fragile and beautiful territory, which the 2009 and 2016 earthquakes did not spare, but which endures thanks to the obstinacy and passion of mountain "tosti" (which in Italian means “tough guys”). For instance the church of Santa Maria Apparente, just outside the village, built by the "will" of the Virgin Mary who appeared on July 2, 1604, with a Latin cross plan and a single-nave interior, because it was originally a small chapel. The facade has a wide rose window and a portal with the Orsini family crest. The interior has an altar decorated and built of wood with gilded leaves. The Church of Sant'Antonio, dating back to 1359, built in the highest part of the village, with a single nave and trussed roof, which has undergone considerable remodelling over the centuries. Finally, the Church of Santa Maria del Brugnoleto, built, according to the legend, in a forest of plum trees where the Madonna appeared.
If you are a professional sportsman, but also amateurs, this natural gym is all for you. You can practice disciplines such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, as well as kayaking and canoeing, while if you prefer cycling or running, the mostly flat lakefront, with over 40 kilometres of perimeter, is perfect.
Other possible activities are hiking and especially horseback riding, which is well developed thanks to Campotosto's inclusion in the long route of the Gran Sasso Horse Trail.
If you come to the area in winter, but also during spring and fall migrations, the lake is ideal for bird watching. You can observe coots and ducks, which use it as a "service" stop during migration, but also ornithological rarities such as osprey and great egrets.
Even with fishermen, both sports and professional, the lake is generous: rich in whitefish, it offers enthusiasts the chance to stay immersed in the seemingly motionless water, waiting for the prey, which swims unsuspectingly in the deep blue that touches 35 metres.
A warm invitation we want to extend to you swimmers: you cannot dive or take two strokes in the lake; it is strictly forbidden. So, make a point of it by devoting the time you would have spent in the water going to discover the gastronomic and artisanal delicacies of the area.
Taste the Campotosto mortadella, a historic cured meat of the area produced since the late 18th century in the typical ovoid shape and tied in pairs with a hand-knotted string. This is why the Abruzzi people call it "mule's bollocks." The secret of its success? The tramontana wind and the altitude that make its perfect seasoning. To safeguard its artisanal production, a few years ago were created a Slow Food Presidium, supported by the park, and the Campotosto Mortadella Producers Association, whose members follow a precise set of specifications.
Also, don't miss the "ciciaregli," a legume soup with chickpea-shaped pasta made of water and flour, the "frascarelli" in broth, spelt and beans, and the "bride's codfish."
Finally, get your hands on the products of weaving, which, thanks to a renewed focus on tradition, is reproducing and regenerating Abruzzo's ancient wool, linen and hemp crafts, transformed into warm items such as scarves, capes, bags, hats, clothes, textiles, napkins, rugs, runners and blankets such as the plaid one that bears the memory of the high mountains.