Cocullo Parks & Gardens

The Abruzzo National Park was established by royal decree in 1923, and is a protected area incorporating 1,100 sq. km (684 sq. mi) of the Apennines and another 1,500 sq. km (932 sq. mi) of land surrounding the mountains. This is Abruzzo's most popular park, attracting millions of visitors yearly. It spearheaded Italy's conservation movement, and is the last natural habitat for several species, including bears, wolves and lynx. The information offices are located in the village of Pescasseroli.

The pride and joy of Abruzzo, the Majella National Park was developed in 1991 out of 74,095 hectares (183,100 acres) of natural area, encompassing parts of the provinces of Pescara, L'Aquila and Chieti. The park is set at the foot of the Apennines and Majella mountains, and is said to be home to 45 per cent of the species of mamammals present in Italy. There is also evidence of human habitation dating back 400,000 years, including ancient stone huts and tools found at the sites of Valle Giumentina, Grotta degli Orsi and Grotta del Colle.