Country Italy Province / Metropolitan city L'Aquila (AQ) Elevation 1,236 m (4,055 ft) Area 50 km² Local time Monday 9:51 PM Patron saint Sant'Ippolito | Region Abruzzo Frazioni Aremogna, Pietransieri Demonym(s) Roccolani Province Province of L'Aquila Postal code 67037 Dialling code 0864 | |
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Weather 7°C, Wind SW at 3 km/h, 84% Humidity | ||
Roccaraso is a town and comune in central Italy, in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region.
Contents
Map of 67037 Roccaraso Province of L'Aquila, Italy
History
The town of Roccaraso dates back to around 1000 AD, and is located near the Rasinus stream, from which some believe it took its original name, Rasin Rocca. It developed as a farming village, inhabited by herdsmen and craftsmen, which guaranteed its people a peaceful and prosperous life. During the late 19th century, the opening of the rail link with Naples begins to bring the first tourists, attracted by the beauty of the natural environment, who were soon welcomed by various hotels that at that time were beginning to rise. A sharp setback came with the Second World War. Roccaraso was located right on the head of the Gustav line, the system of fortifications with which the Germans tried to stop the advance of the Allies after the landing at Salerno in September 1943. The town was completely destroyed by a bombing, which caused the loss of 'Interalia', a theater built in 1698, one of the oldest in Italy. The roccolani did not lose heart; after the end of the war the town slowly went back to life and soon returned to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy.
Roccaraso is among the cities decorated for Valor for the War of Liberation that has been awarded the Gold Medal for Valor for the sacrifices of its people (which culminated in the massacre of Pietransieri) and its activities in the partisan struggle during the Second World War.
Main sights
Ski resort Roccaraso
The ski resort of Roccaraso is structured around the Mountains of Roccaraso, subgroup of Mont Greek (2,283 m (7,490 ft)), the Piano Aremogna and Pizzalto, connected directly to the plants of Rivisondoli-Monte Pratello (2,012 m (6,600 ft)), the heart of the largest ski area in central and southern Italy, the area of Alto Sangro, including around 160 km (100 mi) of downhill slopes and 36 lifts.
The first ski race was held in 1910 and the first ski lift was the 'Slittovia' in Monte Zurrone, built in 1936. Numerous competitions, both national and international, are held every year. In March 2005, Roccaraso hosted the men's and women's finals of the European Cup, and the World Junior Championships in 2012. The participants, representing dozens of countries from all five continents, contended areas laurels of victory. But only eleven teams were able to savour the joy of the podium. In particular, Norway has dominated the race winning 4 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze. Italy settled for a silver medal obtained in the team event, the parallel team played on the Gran track Pizzalto, where blue colors were represented by Alex Zingerle, Giordano Ronci, and Pichler.