Images from Gessopalena, Abruzzo

Gessopalena is a small town on a mountain crest about 50 km inland, in the valley south-east of the Maiella group.

Its name derives from the chalk quarry typical of the area. The town was bombed and destroyed during the German retreat in 1944, and the medieval part has now become an open-air museum.

[The images below were taken during a visit in July 2006]