Campo Imperatore is an immense plain 1800 metres above sea level, 26 km long and 8 km wide. Its main reason for fame is because Mussolini was kept there under arrest for a while after the fall of Fascism.

The scenery is magnificent and the area is scattered with beautiful old medieval villages. It is a great place for day's sightseeing and is very easily accessible from Villa Mandorla.

There is a hotel, an observatory, ski lifts and a botanical garden at the top of a cable car reached from Fonte Cerreto.

This is also the start for many walking trails, including several routes up to the Corno Grande, the highest peak in the Appennines.

This is the pretty little village of Villa Santa Maria degli Abruzzi, just one of the picturesque villages that you can see on a tour of Campo Imperatore.

Other places of interest are Stefano di Sessanio, Castel del Monte, Capestrano and Rocca Calascio.

In Spring and Summer the Campo is covered in a wide variety of wild flowers, such as these wild paeonies. There are also many orchids.