20 Attractions to Explore Near Riserva Naturale Regionale Montagne della Duchessa

The Vincenzo Sebastiani refuge is a mountain refuge located in the territory of the municipality of Rocca di Mezzo, on the Abruzzo Apennines, in the province of L'Aquila, in the Velino-Sirente mountain range. A frequent destination for ski hikers and ski mountaineers in winter, and for trekking hikers in summer as well as starting point for numerous summer and winter excursions to the Velino massif

Monte Velino is one of the highest mountains of Central Italy with an altitude of 2487 meters. It belongs to the Appenino Centrale Group close to the boundary between Lazio and Abruzzo Regions. Its calcareous structure is easily recognizable from all the most important summits in Abruzzo and Lazio, and with good weather conditions, its shape can be seen even from Rome.

Campo Felice is a beautiful karstic plateau in the central Appennines, included in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy. It is geographically bounded by the Velino-Sirente chain, with the other plains of Piani di Pezza and Altopiano delle Rocche located nearby. Campo Felice is situated at some 1500 m above the sea level, and has the shape of a basin. Vegetation is scarce, mostly composed by beech woods in the surrounding mountains slopes.

The Monte Ocre-Monte Cagno mountain range is a short internal mountain ridge of the central Apennine of Abruzzo , located in Abruzzo , in the province of L'Aquila , within the Sirente-Velino chain and the homonymous Sirente-Velino regional natural park. The typical aspect of this ridge is that it is totally devoid of vegetation on the south-west side and almost completely bare even on the north-east side with greater height difference.

The Piani di are a highland glacial and karst -alluvionale located in ' Abruzzese Apennines, in Abruzzo , in the province, within the territory of the town of Rocca di Mezzo, embedded in the Sirente-Velino Regional Natural Park . From the surrounding mountains you can enjoy a wide Apennine panorama. The Piani di are a highland glacial and karst -alluvionale located in ' Abruzzese Apennines , in Abruzzo , in the province , within the territory of the town of Rocca di Mezzo, embedded in the Sirent

The Mount Magnola is a mountain belonging to the mountain range of the mountains of Magnola on the eastern side of the mountain Sirente homonymous Regional Nature Park of ' Abruzzese Apennines. It is home to the homonymous ski resort of Ovindoli. One of the nice trekking and skiing destination and also other neighboring areas of naturalistic interest are Mount Faito and Pizzo di Ovindoli.

Alba Fucens, the ancient Roman city at the base of Monte Velino (Province of Aquila), is an archaeological jewel that one should most definitely explore. In fact, the ruins that emerged from excavations initiated by Fernand De Visscher in 1949 are truly remarkable. It is chiefly remarkable for its finely preserved fortifications and so more.

The Cammino dei Briganti is a long-distance circular path that runs between Abruzzo and Lazio , straddling the historical-geographical regions of Marsica and Cicolano . About 100 kilometers long, it does not exceed 1,200 m asl except for the optional stage of the Duchessa lake.

Riserva Naturale Regionale Grotte di Luppa is a protected natural area located in the municipality of Sante Marie, in the province of L'Aquila. The reserve occupies approximately 435 hectares and was established in 2005. The reserve takes its name from the Luppa valley, a locality located on the border of the Marsican municipalities of Sante Marie and Carsoli.

The Stiffe caves are a complex of karst caves located near Stiffe, in the territory of the municipality of San Demetrio ne 'Vestini ( AQ ), in Abruzzo, included within the Sirente-Velino regional natural park. Testimony of an active resurgence unique in Italy made accessible to the public since 1991, today they constitute one of the main naturalistic sites in the L'Aquila area, registering over 40,000 presences annually.

The basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio is a religious building of the Aquila , located just outside the city ​​walls , on the homonymous hill. Founded in 1288 at the behest of Pietro da Morrone - crowned pope here with the name of Celestino V on 29 August 1294 - it is considered the highest expression of Abruzzo architecture , as well as the symbol of the city and was declared a national monument in 1902.

The Lake of the Duchess is a lake mount the high seas of Lazio, in the province of Rieti, within the regional reserve Mountains of the Duchess, in the territory of the municipality of Borgorose, on the border with the province of Aquila in Abruzzo. The toponym derives from that attributed to the surrounding mountains by the Bolognese Francesco De Marchi in the sixteenth century. in homage to Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Parma and Piacenza, and of the Duchy of Leonessa and Cittaducale.

One of the unique location which shows the thousand-year history of one of the quietest, most reserved and at the same time hospitable regions of Italy. A region characterized by the wonders of nature and good food could only have very deep cultural roots, explicitly visible in the different rooms of this museum. It has a lot of artworks, wooden and terracotta sculptures, paintings, and contemporary arts in its collections.

Piazza del Duomo is the largest and most important of the squares of the Aquila. Heart of religious power, in contrast to Piazza del Palazzo, the seat of political power, it is the social and cultural center of the city, as well as a meeting point for the people of L'Aquila and seat of the main city events. It has also housed the city market since 1303. Its considerable size - 140 meters on the long side and 70 meters on the short side, for a total of about one hectare in width - make it one of

The Basilica of San Bernardino is a religious building of the Aquila, located in the quarter of Santa Maria. It was built, with the adjacent convent, between 1454 and 1472 in honor of St. Bernardino of Siena, whose remains are kept inside the mausoleum of the Saint built by Silvestro dell'Aquila. The facade, erected in the following century by Cola dell'Amatrice with Michelangelo's influences, is considered the highest expression of Renaissance architecture in Abruzzo.

The special nature reserve of the Caves of Pietrasecca is a protected natural area located in Pietrasecca, a hamlet of the municipality of Carsoli, in the province of L'Aquila. The reserve was established in 1992. The caves are included among the sites of community interest in Abruzzo. The protected area which has an extension of about 110 hectares is located in the municipality of Carsoli in the Cavaliere plain.

The Grotta dei Cervi is a natural coastal cave , located along the Salento coast in Porto Badisco in the Municipality of Otranto. It was discovered on February 1, 1970 by five members of the "Pasquale de Lorentiis Salentino Speleological Group" of Maglie (Isidoro Mattioli, Severino Albertini, Remo Mazzotta, Enzo Evangelisti and Daniele Rizzo, to which Nunzio Pacella and Giuseppe Salamina were also added [ 1] ) and is the most impressive Neolithic painting complex in Europe. At first it was given

Forte Spagnolo is a fortress of the Aquila, built during a grandiose project of military strengthening of the territory that took place during the Spanish domination in southern Italy in the first half of the sixteenth century: never used for purposes war, it was used in the seventeenth century as the residence of the Spanish governor and later as accommodation for French soldiers in the nineteenth century and German soldiers during the last world war, while in 1902 it was declared a national mo

The Val d'Àrano is a mountain valley located in the municipality of Ovindoli, in Abruzzo, included in the Sirente-Velino regional natural park and indicated, together with the Aielli-Celano gorges and the Serra, among the sites of community interest of Abruzzo. The small mountain valley, included in the protected territory of the Sirente-Velino regional natural park , is located in the municipality of Ovindoli, in Abruzzo.

Castello Piccolomini is a Middle Ages-Renaissance castle in Balsorano, Province of L'Aquila. The castle was built by Antonio Piccolomini, nephew of pope Pius II, in 1460. Now it is a hotel and it has been used as a location for several Italian films. It has an irregular pentagonal plan with circular towers at each corner. The building is in stone and the main entrance is through the surrounding park. The internal courtyard is L shaped with a well in the middle.