Via Colombo Andreassi, L'Aquila

The cluster is in the built-up area of L’Aquila, so daily surroundings are the city basin rather than open countryside. The Gran Sasso massif rises immediately to the north-east, and the Sirente-Velino range is close to the south-east. The Aterno valley runs through the area. Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park begins close to the city, and the Sirente-Velino Regional Park is nearby. The nearest ski lifts are at Campo Imperatore on Gran Sasso, roughly a 30 to 40 minute drive depending on the access road and season. L’Aquila is the nearest town of size and has the regional institutions, a university, major churches and palazzi, and a substantial historic centre under long reconstruction after the 2009 earthquake. The area is known for its position between major Apennine massifs and for access to the Gran Sasso high plateau.