The Gran Sasso (or Gran Sasso of Italy) is the highest mountain range in the continental Apennines, situated in the central Apennines, entirely in Abruzzo, as part of the eastern ridge of the Abruzzi Apennines, on the border between the provinces of L ‘ Aquila, Teramo and Pescara.
Bordered to the north with the territories of Fano Adriano, Pietracamela, Isola del Gran Sasso of Italy, Castles and Arsita, on the east by the Peoples Gorges, south-west directly with the plain of Assergi, further downstream with L’Aquila to the south it is limited from Campo Imperatore and downstream from this plain, while to the west-north-west borders the chain of Monti della Laga and the Campotosto, separated from them by the high Vomano valley and Highway 80 the Gran Sasso of Italy running through it.
Oriented from north-west and west to south-east, as the vast majority of the Apennines mountain ranges and preappenninici, but with far more high mountain rugged features, consists of two parallel main subchains: the first, most northern and more bitter, you It extends from Monte Corvo (2623 m; northwest) to Vado di Sole (southeast). The southern subchain, less elevated and harsh, extending from Capannelle Pass and Mount St. Franco (2132 m; northwest) to Monte Capo di Serre (1771 m, south-east). Beyond this central area there is a large south-eastern part, called the “southern spurs.” These are characterized by a number of less high reliefs: Monte Ruzza (1643 m), Monte Bolza (1904 m), Monte Camarda (1384 m), Monte Cappucciata (1802 m), Monte Picca (1405 m) and many others, up to the Gorges Peoples.
The major peaks are located in the northern subchain: Corno Grande – which consists of four main peaks: the east (2903 m), the center (2893 m) the exchange tower (2875 m) and greater, Western (2914 m, which it is also the highest peak of all the continental Apennines) – and the Little Horn (2655 m). Nestled in a valley and protected by the four peaks that make up the Big Horn is the Calderone Glacier, the second southernmost glacier in Europe.
In the heart of the massif, between the two subchains, it is the vast plateau of Campo Imperatore and between the peaks more the basin of Campo hazards, as well as deep valleys that descend between these peaks (eg. Chiarino Val, Val Maone, Valley Venacquaro, Hell’s Valley).