In the plain of Campo Imperatore, also known as the Little Tibet of Abruzzo, every spring an event of extraordinary beauty is repeated, affecting the entire vast Apennine meadow: the flowering of Crocus. At the onset of spring, between March and April, when the warm sun melts the winter snows and the moist soil gives strength to the tiny seeds, the plateau turns into a sea of purple, the characteristic color of Crocus flowers. This is a wildflower belonging to the Iridaceae family, very similar in shape and color to the more famous Saffron flower for this reason it is also known as wild saffron or false saffron, but it is not edible, indeed it turns out to be poisonous if ingested.
The Crocus, extolled in Homer’sIliad and in the Song of Songs, is a symbol of impossible love and longing, but also of strength and resilience after Abruzzo’s harsh winters. In fact, while it looks delicate on the surface it is actually very tenacious: it blooms on the damp, cold ground close to snow blocks and as the snow melts it blooms until it covers much of the vast plain. The sight of this prairie covered with a myriad of flowers in shades of lilac and purple contrasts with the white of the mountains around still streaked with snow.
To get to the Campo Imperatore plateau, it takes about two hours by car from Rome, driving along the A24 in the direction of L’Aquila, exiting at Assergi, and then continuing on the road that leads to the Rifugio di Lago Racollo. It is a unique place of rare beauty, nestled in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, traversed by numerous mammal species such as Apennine chamois, deer, wolves and roe deer, making it the perfect place to spend a relaxing spring weekend.
The blooming of the Crocus of Campo Imperatore is among the most characteristic spectacles of Nature in the area: the plateau stretches for more than 20 kilometers and is almost completely devoid of vegetation, having been a place of summer grazing for centuries, and during springtime it is filled with crocuses that are lost to view, creating a unique and fascinating purple expanse.
Spring thus takes the place of the long, harsh winter!
