History of the Park

 

In 1872, when Yellowstone, the first national park in the world, was established in the United States, in Italy a large royal hunting reserve was opened at Camosciara in the central Apennines (today the heart of the Abruzzo National Park) to protect a handful of rare species, including the Abruzzo chamois and the Marsican brown bear.

In 1917, following the studies of Professor Alessandro Ghigi, president of the 'Pro Montibus e Silvis' company, the first plan for a national park was drawn up, but Italy was still at war and the plan was dropped. After the War the initiative was taken up again when the commune of Opi let about 1200 acres of land to the 'Pro Montibus' federation to create a protected area. The nucleus for what would later become the Abruzzo National Park was thus born.

Later the Abruzzo National Park Authority was created to manage and preserve the area, with its own statute and governing body presided over by Erminio Sipari, generally considered to be the Park's founder.

Following the initial success of the Park Authority other comunes ceded parts of their territory to the Park, which thus reached a size of almost 30,000 acres, including the richest and most interesting areas in terms of wildlife.

 In 1976, partly as a result of the activity of environmentalists, the Abruzzo National Park obtained another 25,000 acres with the incorporation of the massif of the Marsicano, Palombo and Godi mountains, thereby extending its overall territory to 100,000 acres.

In 1984 the Park Authority applied the criterion of the zoning system to facilitate the Park's institutional administration. In 1988 fierce battles between protectionists and hunting organizations resulted in a ban on hunting in the Outer Protection Zone.

Following the 'Civitella Case1 in 1989, which clearly demonstrated the economic benefits of the Park, various communes of the Molise asked to become part of the protected area, and so it was that in 1990 the Park was again enlarged to cover a total area of 110,000 acres.

The Park Authority's efforts over the years have won recognition both nationally and internationally. The Abruzzo National Park is in fact seen as a model for other protected areas in Italy and Europe. In 1977 it was awarded the European Diploma for Nature Conservation by the European Council.

On 9 September 1922 a solemn ceremony was held in Pescasseroli to inaugurate the new Park that was the fruit of private initiatives. Only later, in January 1923, did the Italian government issue a decree that conferred legal status to the Abruzzo National Park, whose territory of 45,000 acres was soon extended to cover a total area of 75,000 acres. This was a period of intense activity and achievement. However, in 1933 the Park Authority was suppressed by the Fascist regime and a forest militia took over. The Park underwent a period of decline.

In 1950, with the re-establishment of the Authority, the Park revived in the face of numerous difficulties, particularly of a financial nature. In the late 1950s and early 1960s a new crisis hit the Park. This was the period of economic boom in Italy and the 'exploitation of tourism' was used by speculators to justify a wave of uncontrolled building and land development that have left a damaging and indelible mark.

Between 1963 and 1969 the Park was without a director. The building of villas, homes, roads and ski slopes, and the division of land into lots, resulted in the loss of about 7,500 acres of land and further spoiling of the environment.

Things changed for the better after 1969 with the reorganization of services and administration and in 1975 the Abruzzo National Park was twinned with the Bavarian Forest in Germany.

 

IMPORTANT DATES

1907    Initial proposal for a national park in Abruzzo

1917    First actual plan for the creation of a Park

1921    'Pro Montibus' rents the Park's first nucleus (1200 acres)

and the Park Authority is instituted

1922    Official inauguration of the Park (30,000 acres)

1923    Legal constitution of the Park (45,000 acres)

1925    First enlargement of the Park (to 70,000 acres)

1926    Second enlargement (to 75,000 acres)

1933    Suppression of the Park Authority

1950    Re-establishment of the Park Authority

1958    Beginning of unchecked building projects associated with tourism

1964    International scandal following a UICN inspection

1969    Reorganization of Park administration and beginning of revival

1970    Creation of the Outer Protection Zone (150,000 acres)

1976    Third enlargement (to 100,000 acres)

1980    First enforcement of the Park Project

1984    Application of the Zoning System

1985    Consolidation of the Park Project and the Zoning System

 1987    Definitive approval of the Zoning System

1988    Suspension of hunting in the Outer Protection Zone

1989    The 'Civitella Case' demonstrates the Park's benefits

1990    Fourth enlargement (to 110,000 acres)

1992    Marks 70 years of the Park's existence

1993    Consolidation of the Outer Protection Zone

1994    Opening of the Parks Central Office in Rome

1997    Marks 75 years of the Park's existence