Campo Imperatore

Campo Imperatore is a mountain pasture and plateau within Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park, lying between 1,500 and 1,900 meters (4,900 and 6,200 feet) in elevation. The area stretches 27 kilometers (17 miles) in length and eight kilometers (5 miles) in width, forming one of the largest high plains in the Apennines.

In September 1943, Benito Mussolini was held at the Campo Imperatore Hotel until German paratroopers freed him in a commando raid. The plateau had served for centuries as grazing land for sheep herders from surrounding valleys, who drove their animals uphill each summer.

The pasture earned the nickname "Little Tibet" because the summer landscape recalls Asian steppe regions, with sheep herds grazing freely on short grass. Some shepherds still live in simple stone huts scattered across the plateau during the warmer months, structures that once served as shelters for herders.

A cable car from Fonte Cerreto rises to the plateau, saving the long climb on foot; in winter, it serves as the main access to the ski area. Most hiking trails start near the upper cable car station, where lodging and restaurants are also located.

An Alpine Botanical Garden preserves around 300 plant species found only in these mountains and supports research projects on rare alpine vegetation. Several Western films were shot on the plateau, including scenes from productions meant to represent North America.