The Gran Sasso d’Italia, with its majestic peaks and landscapes that tell centuries of history and spirituality, is at the center of an ambitious project: a candidacy for UNESCO Natural Heritage status. The initiative, promoted by the GAL Gran Sasso Laga, was presented on November 24 at the Sanctuary of San Gabriele, during a conference that brought together institutions, experts and local communities.
LAG president Carlo Matone stressed that this candidacy is not just a symbolic recognition, but a concrete commitment to build a development model based on sustainability, knowledge and participation. Gran Sasso is in fact much more than a mountain: it is a natural, cultural and human heritage of universal value, a place that holds biodiversity, history and spirituality.
The strategic role of the Gran Sasso Tunnel
For those who live and work in Abruzzo-and for those crossing Italy-the Gran Sasso is not only a symbol, but also the site of a vital infrastructure. The
Keeping this infrastructure efficient and sustainable is a national priority: it means ensuring continuity of strategic connections and preserving a delicate balance between development and land protection.
A commitment to the future
The UNESCO candidacy of the Gran Sasso is part of a broader vision: to enhance the area without compromising its beauty and fragility. Paths such as the Cammino dei due Santi, which connects the Sanctuary of St. Gabriel and the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II, or such as the Cammini della Transumanza, testify to how slow tourism and spirituality can coexist with modern infrastructure, creating opportunities for local communities.
Gran Sasso is indeed a “Mountain of the Soul,” but also a strategic resource for Italy. Preserving it and making it sustainably accessible is everyone’s responsibility: institutions, businesses and citizens.
