Ambitions and (in)successes of mass tourism on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. Plans and projects for Castel del Monte and Campotosto in the 1960s-70s

<p>For centuries, high-altitude landscapes remained untouched by human activities. Between the 19th and 20th century, the construction possibilities offered by industrialisation and the economic prosperity in Europe after the second World War period, started a progressive modification of the I...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Simonetta Ciranna, Marco Paolucci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of L'Aquila 2023-12-01
Series:Disegnare con
Subjects:
Online Access:https://disegnarecon.univaq.it/ojs/index.php/disegnarecon/article/view/1170
_version_ 1827132932309909504
author Simonetta Ciranna
Marco Paolucci
author_facet Simonetta Ciranna
Marco Paolucci
author_sort Simonetta Ciranna
collection DOAJ
description <p>For centuries, high-altitude landscapes remained untouched by human activities. Between the 19th and 20th century, the construction possibilities offered by industrialisation and the economic prosperity in Europe after the second World War period, started a progressive modification of the Italian mountain skyline. The most significant interventions generally took place above 1,500 metres altitude over sea level, where snow persisted in the winter months. Alpine skiing, the magical discipline of ‘gliding’, was born and developed within this context, as the business of high-altitude mass tourism too.<br />Right from the beginning of the 20th century, in the Apennines, and on the Gran Sasso d’Italia in particular, the highest and most significant peaks became attractive hubs for the first ski facilities, which were created on both the L’Aquila and Teramo sides. Less successful were the initiatives for Castel del Monte and Campotosto, that definitively died out in the following decade. These areas, on the margins of the Gran Sasso region [Fig. 1], were undertaken in a delicate and complex context at the end of the 1960s. In those years, the mass tourism profit due to Alpine skiing began to decline, the interests of local communities clashed with entrepreneurial initiatives, and the process of formation of the National Park was in sight, ready to limit building investments on areas of environmental value.<br />This study analyses the planning instruments and building proposals for these two locations as evidence of the desire to import the mass tourism system of the Alpine area to the mountains of L’Aquila. It lies, ever since, on the limbo between remaining magnificently virgin and being terribly abandoned.</p><p><span class="TextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8" lang="IT-IT" xml:lang="IT-IT" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8">DOI: </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8">https://doi.org/10.20365/disegnarecon.31.2023.</span></span><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW239829940 BCX8" lang="IT-IT" xml:lang="IT-IT" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8">1</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8">1</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW239829940 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> </span></p>
first_indexed 2024-03-08T13:57:59Z
format Article
id doaj.art-683ebe4e11a0447189296d4407e9ee33
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1828-5961
language English
last_indexed 2025-03-20T16:55:50Z
publishDate 2023-12-01
publisher University of L'Aquila
record_format Article
series Disegnare con
spelling doaj.art-683ebe4e11a0447189296d4407e9ee332024-08-28T15:56:48ZengUniversity of L'AquilaDisegnare con1828-59612023-12-011631111465Ambitions and (in)successes of mass tourism on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. Plans and projects for Castel del Monte and Campotosto in the 1960s-70sSimonetta CirannaMarco Paolucci<p>For centuries, high-altitude landscapes remained untouched by human activities. Between the 19th and 20th century, the construction possibilities offered by industrialisation and the economic prosperity in Europe after the second World War period, started a progressive modification of the Italian mountain skyline. The most significant interventions generally took place above 1,500 metres altitude over sea level, where snow persisted in the winter months. Alpine skiing, the magical discipline of ‘gliding’, was born and developed within this context, as the business of high-altitude mass tourism too.<br />Right from the beginning of the 20th century, in the Apennines, and on the Gran Sasso d’Italia in particular, the highest and most significant peaks became attractive hubs for the first ski facilities, which were created on both the L’Aquila and Teramo sides. Less successful were the initiatives for Castel del Monte and Campotosto, that definitively died out in the following decade. These areas, on the margins of the Gran Sasso region [Fig. 1], were undertaken in a delicate and complex context at the end of the 1960s. In those years, the mass tourism profit due to Alpine skiing began to decline, the interests of local communities clashed with entrepreneurial initiatives, and the process of formation of the National Park was in sight, ready to limit building investments on areas of environmental value.<br />This study analyses the planning instruments and building proposals for these two locations as evidence of the desire to import the mass tourism system of the Alpine area to the mountains of L’Aquila. It lies, ever since, on the limbo between remaining magnificently virgin and being terribly abandoned.</p><p><span class="TextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8" lang="IT-IT" xml:lang="IT-IT" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8">DOI: </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8">https://doi.org/10.20365/disegnarecon.31.2023.</span></span><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW239829940 BCX8" lang="IT-IT" xml:lang="IT-IT" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8">1</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW239829940 BCX8">1</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW239829940 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> </span></p>https://disegnarecon.univaq.it/ojs/index.php/disegnarecon/article/view/1170gran sasso d’italiacastel del montecampotostoprogetto d’architetturapatrimonio culturale
spellingShingle Simonetta Ciranna
Marco Paolucci
Ambitions and (in)successes of mass tourism on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. Plans and projects for Castel del Monte and Campotosto in the 1960s-70s
Disegnare con
gran sasso d’italia
castel del monte
campotosto
progetto d’architettura
patrimonio culturale
title Ambitions and (in)successes of mass tourism on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. Plans and projects for Castel del Monte and Campotosto in the 1960s-70s
title_full Ambitions and (in)successes of mass tourism on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. Plans and projects for Castel del Monte and Campotosto in the 1960s-70s
title_fullStr Ambitions and (in)successes of mass tourism on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. Plans and projects for Castel del Monte and Campotosto in the 1960s-70s
title_full_unstemmed Ambitions and (in)successes of mass tourism on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. Plans and projects for Castel del Monte and Campotosto in the 1960s-70s
title_short Ambitions and (in)successes of mass tourism on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. Plans and projects for Castel del Monte and Campotosto in the 1960s-70s
title_sort ambitions and in successes of mass tourism on the gran sasso d italia plans and projects for castel del monte and campotosto in the 1960s 70s
topic gran sasso d’italia
castel del monte
campotosto
progetto d’architettura
patrimonio culturale
url https://disegnarecon.univaq.it/ojs/index.php/disegnarecon/article/view/1170
work_keys_str_mv AT simonettaciranna ambitionsandinsuccessesofmasstourismonthegransassoditaliaplansandprojectsforcasteldelmonteandcampotostointhe1960s70s
AT marcopaolucci ambitionsandinsuccessesofmasstourismonthegransassoditaliaplansandprojectsforcasteldelmonteandcampotostointhe1960s70s