{"id":471,"date":"2026-04-08T11:23:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T11:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ostellomontano.cambia-marketing.it\/?page_id=471"},"modified":"2026-04-14T14:30:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T14:30:56","slug":"territorio","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/territorio\/","title":{"rendered":"Territory"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Territory<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

territory<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Discovering Cortino and the Hamlet of Padula<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The territory of the Municipality of <\/span>Cortino<\/span>, set in the <\/span>Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park<\/span>, represents a precious treasure chest of history, nature and traditions in the heart of mountainous Abruzzo<\/span>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Monti della Laga Park<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks to its favourable location and high altitudes, the Gran Sasso e\nMonti della Laga National Park has a high biological richness, in fact it is home to about 2300 species\nspecies and more than one third of the Italian floristic heritage, making it one of the European and\nEuropean and Mediterranean areas with the greatest number of endemic entities, including for example the\nextremely rare edelweiss of the Apennines. The Park is also an immense resource of handicrafts,\ntypical products, food and wine and folklore. Established in 1995, it is among the largest in Italy. The park is\ndivided into two easily identifiable sections: the Gran Sasso chain further south, formed by\nlimestone and dolomite that give the massif an Alpine appearance, with vertical, rocky walls, and,\nmoving northwards, the Monti della Laga and Monti Gemelli, with a rounded profile, made up of\nsandstones and marls that allow water to flow on the surface, forming a small Eden of\nstreams and waterfalls. The Laga chain, about 30 km long, constitutes the highest sandstone relief\nof the Apennine ridge, with no fewer than 10 peaks over 2,000 metres in altitude, culminating in the majestic Monte Laga.\npeak with the majestic Mount Gorzano (2,456 m).\nIn the Park territory, thanks to the diversity of environments, lives a very rich fauna\nrepresented mainly by the deer, the roe deer and their natural predator, the wolf, which has\nrecently definitively established thanks also to the presence of numerous Wild Boars, and which\nrepresents a fundamental element in the reconstitution of the ecological balance. Common are\nalso the Badger, the Porcupine, the Fox, many rodents and the Hare, which also lives on the high-altitude grasslands.\nBiogeographical interest is also confirmed by the presence of the Orsini Viper, which lives in the\ngrasslands, and the Snow vole, a rodent of high altitude environments, which came down from the Alps with the last\nglaciations and has remained to the present day, bearing witness to the last geological event, which\naccording to some researchers, determined the formation of a subspecific entity in the Laga.\nIn the wetlands we find the Alpine Newt and numerous types of snakes.\nAmong the birds are a few specimens of Golden Eagle that fly over the highest peaks\nin search of hares and partridges, while, hovering over the grasslands, we find the Pilgrim Falcon, more common and evenly distributed.\ncommon and evenly distributed. In the humid fir woods of Cortino and in the Martese Forest one can hear the\ncan be heard the typical call of the extremely rare Mezzanine Woodpecker; the abundance of water\nabundance of surface water determines greater life possibilities for species typical of mountain streams such as the\nDipper and the Yellow Wagtail, easy to observe along the rivers Castellano, Salinello and\nTordino; in the shade of the woods, in addition to numerous birds, we also find as many as five species of\nbats.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Cortino Municipality<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPadula, 938 m, in the municipality of Cortino. The drive up the Tordino River Valley, from the city of Teramo, is undoubtedly one of the most pleasant and recommended itineraries to be enjoyed. It is the last stretch in particular that interests visitors, the one in which the valley narrows between Monte Bilanciere and the spurs that descend from Pizzo di Moscio, ending at a small natural basin on which the town of Padula lies. Anyone driving along the stretch of road that climbs the high and narrow valley of the Tordino River cannot escape the unusual sensation of being pleasantly sucked into a natural corridor, which is generated once the verdant mountain barrage that closes the horizon appears above the characteristic sandstone houses. And yet, it is enough to lift one's gaze a little to the left, to realise that it is instead possible to go further on, to reach the last real outpost of the valley, elegantly perched on a rocky spur separating two cool streams: this is the village of Macchiatornella.\nWe are at an altitude of one thousand metres, at the point of greatest convergence of the natural impluvi that descend from the steep slopes of the Laga, within which, limpid and impetuous torrents offer some of the most appreciated postcards of this corner of Abruzzo. The village of Padula is located on the bank of the Tordino river, in an elevated position with beautiful balcony views of it. Even today, the village retains its urban elegance with its typical sandstone houses, skilfully restored, which once housed families as well as animals and which also feature some stone portals with interesting bas-reliefs and inscriptions. Its history is strongly influenced by brigandage, in particular by the bandit Santuccio di Froscia, who in 1683 settled in Padula with his company that managed to escape the soldiers dispersed in the woods.\nPadula has a long river rich in tree species, flowers, shrubs and plants that offer shelter to numerous types of insects in the warm months. It is an open-air nature laboratory, ideal for bringing children into their first direct contact with nature, the perfect place, quiet and safe, where school groups and youth groups can carry out educational and playful activities\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Sanctuary Madonna dei Monti della Laga in Padula\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Monti della Laga, also known as the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, is located a short distance from the village of Padula, a hamlet of Cortino. Built in the 15th century and renovated in the 18th, it has a basilica layout with a stone convent cloister. The bell tower, a tower spire, was inspired by the masters of Atri in the 1950s and is similar to the towers of Teramo, Citt\u00e0 Sant'Angelo and Cellino Attanasio. The very simple fa\u00e7ade has a Gothic portal. The interior, originally with three naves, now presents only the nave with transept and an organ on the counter fa\u00e7ade. The interior sides are decorated with marble tiles covering the old masonry with some frescoes still visible. The ceiling is decorated with Renaissance paintings showing the coats of arms of the Acquaviva family. The monumental canopied Baroque altar has a classical temple form, surmounted by the monumental coat-of-arms of the Dukes of Atri, with the Risen Christ in triumph in the centre and two statues of the Assumption and Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows in side niches.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

The Padula Mill<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJust below the settlement, towering over a cosy picnic area, are the remains of the old mill, which operated from 1600 until 1955. All that remains intact of the old building are the outer walls made of perfectly dressed stone, which give the building a unique appearance of refinement, while the housing of the wheel is just as well worked, demonstrating its importance. The vaulted roof has collapsed on the inside where the old millstone can still be seen, while below the building one can see the water collection channel, the old reservoir for the \u2019refogge\u201c, with a height of the water fall of up to ten metres. A few hundred metres away, on the river bed, traces of the channel dug into the rock that served to collect the water are still visible. The one in Padula is only the first mill along the Tordino river, of which there were as many as 18 up to Teramo, since each village had its own, which, in addition to grinding wheat, was also used to grind other cereals such as Cecerchia.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Monte Gorzano<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJust below the settlement, towering over a cosy picnic area, are the remains of the old mill, which operated from 1600 until 1955. All that remains intact of the old building are the outer walls made of perfectly dressed stone, which give the building a unique appearance of refinement, while the housing of the wheel is just as well worked, demonstrating its importance. The vaulted roof has collapsed on the inside where the old millstone can still be seen, while below the building one can see the water collection channel, the old reservoir for the \u2019refogge\u201c, with a height of the water fall of up to ten metres. A few hundred metres away, on the river bed, traces of the channel dug into the rock that served to collect the water are still visible. The one in Padula is only the first mill along the Tordino river, of which there were as many as 18 up to Teramo, since each village had its own, which, in addition to grinding wheat, was also used to grind other cereals such as Cecerchia. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Tordino Waterfalls \n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe river Tordino, called Batinus by the ancients, is 59 km long from the foot of Mount Gorzano where it rises at an altitude of 2,200 m, to the Adriatic Sea where it flows into Cologna Spiaggia.\nThe impermeability of the rocks of the mountains it crosses represents the particular and general character of its entire course where only a few permeable patches are the exceptions. From Mount Gorzano to Teramo, its course stretches over sandy-clayey rocks, with a prevalence of sandstone often alternating with shale or clay layers. It is precisely the impermeability of the rocks that has allowed the existence of numerous jumps, water features and waterfalls that dot the entire course of the river.\nFor decades, the motive power of the Tordino moved as many as 18 grain mills, 2 oil mills, 3 gualchiere and 1 branch mill.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

White Fir Nature Trail \n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe White Fir Nature Trail is one of the most precious and fascinating routes in the entire Cortino area. The path winds through greenery and crosses the uncontaminated landscapes of Mount Bilanciere, offering spectacular views of the Laga mountain range. The Cortino White Fir grove is one of the few spontaneous clusters of white fir remaining in the entire central Apennines and constitutes an environmental peculiarity, being the southernmost in Europe and originating from the Ice Age. It is a cluster of approximately 130 hectares that develops from 800 to 1400 metres, on Mount Bilanciere which overlooks the village of Padula, with specimens reaching 40 metres and 200 years of age, which can be admired by following an easy and comfortable path with several access points.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Territorio territorio Alla scoperta di Cortino e del Borgo di Padula Il territorio del Comune di Cortino, incastonato nel Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga, rappresenta un prezioso scrigno di storia, natura e tradizioni nel cuore dell’Abruzzo montano. Parco dei Monti della Laga Grazie alla sua favorevole posizione e alle alte quote, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-471","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=471"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":766,"href":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/471\/revisions\/766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ostellogransassolaga.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}