What is Pietracamela known for?

Founded here in 1925 by Ernesto Sivitilli, the first climbing club of the central Apennines, opened the first grade VI routes. 2,655-meter peak directly above the village, considered the most demanding rock climb in the Apennine range. Southernmost glacier in Europe, on the north flank of Corno Grande, accessed from Prati di Tivo above the village.

Where is Pietracamela?

Pietracamela is a comune in the province of Teramo, Abruzzo region of Italy, about 88 kilometers from Pescara.

Abruzzo · Teramo

Pietracamela

A village of 218 people clinging at 1,005 meters under the north wall of Corno Piccolo, birthplace of Italian Apennine climbing in 1925.

1005m

Elevation

88 km / 55 mi

Nearest hub (Pescara)

218

Population

Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Pietracamela hangs at 1,005 meters on the north slope of the Gran Sasso massif, directly under the rock walls of Corno Piccolo. Two hundred and eighteen people live here. The village was founded in the twelfth century by populations fleeing coastal raids for the inaccessible upper Rio Arno valley. Its name comes from the Preta, the camel-humped rock above the houses. The Gran Sasso, central Italy's highest range, defines the place. In 1925 Ernesto Sivitilli founded the Aquilotti di Pietracamela, the first climbing club of the central Apennines. By the 1930s the Aquilotti had opened the first grade VI routes on Corno Piccolo, the east face and the Torrione Cambi. Today the village empties in winter except for the climbers and skiers heading up the road to Prati di Tivo, the ski station at 1,450 meters that gives access to the cableway up Corno Grande and the Calderone glacier, southernmost in Europe.

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Gallery

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Known for

Centro storico
Tightly packed stone houses on the slope, twelfth-century medieval plan preserved, listed among the Borghi più belli d'Italia.
Corno Piccolo
Sheer rock peak rising 2,655 meters directly above the village, the historic training ground of the Aquilotti climbing club.
Prati di Tivo
Ski station at 1,450 meters, frazione of Pietracamela, gateway to the cableway up the Gran Sasso massif.
Corno Grande and Calderone glacier
Gran Sasso's main peak at 2,912 meters, with the Calderone, the southernmost glacier in Europe, on its northern slopes.
Chiesa di San Leucio
Medieval parish church in the village, restored multiple times, the oldest stone building in the historic core.
Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga
Pietracamela sits inside the park, the CAI reserve covering 2,000 hectares around Val Maone and the Rio Arno valley.

When to visit

Best months · Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

December through March brings snow to Prati di Tivo and turns the cableway into the access point for ski mountaineering on Corno Grande. The village itself stays cold. June through September is the climbing and hiking season, with most Aquilotti routes accessible from late June. The Calderone, what is left of it, shows on the north face of Corno Grande through August. April, May, October, and November are the off months when the village empties to a few dozen residents. Most restaurants and the small hotels close. The Sagra dei Maccheroncini alla Mugnaia, the local pasta festival, is held in mid-August.