The exposure of the two different sides of the mountain range, separated by a line of very high ridge, gave birth to a different tree crown cover. The northern side has a good forest integrity in the presence of extensive well-preserved beech with beech trees, Aceri, Abeti white and Betulle.L 'White Fir, Abies Alba, the Apennines, it is noted in sporadic appearances on the slopes of Monte Corvo, in the catchment of Rocchetta and Venaquaro and higher only on the slopes of Colle Pelato in toxicity.
The Birch, Birch pendula, is present in the last few stations around Arsita and Isola del Gran Sasso. The rate, Taxus baccata, is present with the majestic specimens of Angri Vallone, Voltigno. The woods of Chiarino, Monte S. Franco and the forest Codaro Campiglione, all located in the north-west of the massif, are well known examples of the richness of the tree crown cover of this side.
Towards the east, however, there are the Prati di Tivo, molded by glacial Quaternary, characterized by a discontinuous forest interspersed with large meadows, on which grows a very rich flora and varies with Anemoni, gentian, orchids and Primule. The valley of the Rio Arno upstream of Prati, very evocative and full of water, has a good environmental integrity: here it is easy to admire the Giglio martagone or Riccio di Dama and Giglio Rosso, and many small bog with cotton grass.
Faggeta summarizes the nature of continuity as they proceed toward the east, stretching along the slopes of the mountains Brancastello, book, shirt, Tremoggia, Siella and San Vito, where the over two thousand meters vegeta the rare Edelweiss Appenine.
South of Rigopiano open, carved by the river Tavo, the valley of Angri. Again, the planting is done by Beech to which accompany the maple, the Hornbeam, the Pit, in addition to rate. Continuing southward, there is the Valley of Angora, with a real beech forest in the canyon, and the spectacular karst of Voltigno plan, consisting of a prairie Nardeti, Nardus stricta, surrounded by large beech groves. Several of Peonie bloom, bluebells and Gentian greater.
But perhaps the most peculiar character of appearance of the Gran Sasso botanical lies in the presence of numerous endemics, mostly above the timberline. Among them we remember over the Apennine Mountain Star, the Purple Maiella, the Sassifraga leaf opposite the Genepì Apennines, the Mattioli, the Adonide curved and rare and symbolic Androsace Abruzzo, a small and delicate primulacea known only for very small areas of Altomontana Gran Sasso and Maiella. Remarkable, also, the presence of other rare species such as yellow and Adonide Limoni aquilano, whose only stations are aquilano side of the park.

The fauna of the Gran Sasso is the rate, the Faina, the weasel, the fox, the hare, the polecat, the Scoiattolo south, the wild cat, the wolf (very rare), chamois (reintroduced in 1992 to Farindola) , wild boars, the Istrice and Marten. Particularly rich is the bird life, represented by more than 100 species. Very rare birds of prey, including peregrine falcons and golden eagles are still present and their nests, while some species, such as the bearded vulture, which is the certainty of their presence at the end of the last century, have now disappeared. Remaining forest areas in the nest Astore, the sparrowhawk, and especially the Poiana. During the spring and autumn it is easy to see the cuckoo Falco, the harriers or kestrel Falco. Species such as the Gracchi and alpine coral can be seen on the slopes of Corno Grande and Monte Alb. The Gracchi Reef is on the Gran Sasso nuclei with numerous and well distributed to ensure the conservation of the species now in sharp decline in all the other mountains of Italy and Europe. More difficult to see are the Coturnici, the small Wallcreeper and Fringuello Alpine appearances on major massiccio.L 'erpetofauna presents rare species such as dell'Orsini Viper, Vipera Aspis and the species of the genus Natrix. Among the amphibians is to report the Rana graeca, the rarest Italian Anura. There are also Ululone by yellow belly and Rana dalmatina, the salamander and the occhiali Salamandra pezzata.

The whole Appenine about 200 million years ago was flooded by an ocean. The approach of the continents, pushing and corrugated surfaces in a continuous rock for millions of years, has meant that the various types of the overlapping layers in several places, so that about 6 million years ago, during the desiccation of the Mediterranean , (known to scholars as the "salinity crisis") of the Gran Sasso chain should look like a partially raised in relation to another post in the north and identified as "the basin of Laga." So today we can find a few hundred meters away rocks very different, in fact once they were at distances considerably larger. The massive limestone "and" Triassic dolomite "of the Big Horn, in fact, come from the bottom of an area known as" platform ", characterized by a shallow sea, rich in oxygen that favored the settlement of organisms such as foraminifera, molluscs alghe.Da and a geomorphological point of view, the Gran Sasso is a mass of sedimentary origin composed of dolomite, limestone, generally massive and marls. Origi about 6 million years ago (Miocene), dell'emersione in the context of the Apennines, was later stages of thrust and compression that generated a series of fractures and drops (Val Maona, Valle del Venacquaro, Campo Pericoli, Campo Imperatore). On these, starting with 600,000 (Günz) to about 10,000 (Würm) years ago, acted the erosive forces of ice ages. These signs have left particularly evident, especially on the northern side of the group: small glacial cirques are identifiable characteristic, for example, in the area of Mount St. Franco (the valleys of hell and heaven), but also in the vicinity of Mount Eagle and Mount of Scindarella. The glaciers were bigger natural points of convergence of these glacial cirques in high places, for example, the glacier that occupied Campo Pericoli nourished by circuses places north of the ridges of the Big Horn, Mont Eagle, Monte Portella and Pizzo Cefalonia. In these basins the snow is compacted and turned into ice, resulting in Val Maona to Pietracamela, where are still visible remains date back to the moraine of the Riss glaciation. Since the successive glaciations have erased the marks left by earlier ones, and because of the Riss glaciation is older than the Würm, rissiana this moraine is one of the rare evidence that the valleys of the Gran Sasso have been occupied by glaciers over and over times during Neozoico.


In 1573 it was conquered for the first time the top of the Horn Grande.La expedition was led by captain Francesco De Marchi. It was an extraordinary given the time and equipment available to climbers. The real exploration of the Gran Sasso mountaineering began in the late nineteenth century with the conquest of the different peaks in the group.
On 19 August 1573 the military engineer captain Francesco De Marchi climbed by side dell'Aterno the highest peak of the Gran Sasso d'Italia (Corno Grande, West Summit). The companions were the Caesar Milan Schiaffino and Diomede from L'Aquila, guides and porters, by Francesco di Domenico di Assergi and Simon and Giovanpietro Julius. The description of the then outstanding business is contained in a manuscript preserved in the Biblioteca Comunale di Bologna. Two centuries later, July 30 1794, the scientist Horace Teramo Delfico reached the Summit of the Eastern side by the Great Horn of Isola del Gran Sasso. But the real exploration of the mountaineering team after beginning the ascent made by Saint Robert July 20 1870. On 9 January 1880, and Corradino Sella Gaudenzio carried the first winter ascent of Corno Grande, 8 September 1887 Enrico Abbate and guidance of John Acitelli Assergi climbing Horn Piccolo, in July 1888 the Ugolini and guidance De Nicola reached the tops of the mountain and Mount Crow reservation, August 10 1892 O. Gualerzi and G. Acitelli the Summit of the Central Great Horn, making the first rock climbing, 8 February 1893 Abbate, Gualerzi, Gavin Acitelli and carried the first winter ascent of Corno Piccolo. Mountaineering guides without starting the Gran Sasso in 1910 with the crossing of the three peaks of Corno Grande, made by the Austrians and Schmidt Riebeling. Followed immediately climbing the Sucaini Roman (Sebastiani, Bram, Chiaraviglio, Berthelet etc..) And, shortly after the First World War, those of the Roman and Milanese mountaineers (Jannetta, Bonacossa etc..) On the most impressive ridges and walls of the massif. From 1932 onwards is also developed on the Gran Sasso modern climbing with the intervention of "Aquilotti of Pietracamela and climbers Aquilani (Giancola, Sivitilli, Marsilio, D'Armi and others), as well as internationally renowned mountaineer (Bonacossa , Gervasutti, Maraini etc..), with firms that touch the sixth grade. But the opening of streets full of difficulties and extreme winter the conquest of the most difficult walls belong to the last decades, because of renewed suca Rome (Council Alletto, Mario, Cravino etc.). Aquilani and mountaineers and Marches (A. Bafile, Calibani, Florio and others), describing the Gran Sasso mountain mountaineering interest in every aspect.