Apart from the eastern coastal strip along the Adriatic sea, the Region of Abruzzo is essentially mountainous. It borders with Marche and Umbria (to the north), Latium to the west and Molise to the south. It covers an area of under 11, 000 square kilometres 65% of which are 700 metres above sea level, peaking with Corno Grande (Great Horn) on the Gran Sasso massif at 2914 metres; this is only slightly higher than Monte Amaro (Bitter Mount), on the Maiella massif which is situated in the southern part of the region, at 2795 metres. There follows Mount Velino on the southernmost Meta range.

These mountainous formations are part of the Apennine range which runs all the way down the Italian peninsula like a backbone, and are surrounded by lush plateaus degrading to the fertile plains of Aquilana or Valle dell’ Averna, Sulmona, Navelli, Cinquemiglia (Fivemiles) and Fucino, a lake which was dried out by Emperor Claudius (in 52 AD) by way of a tunnel, turning its bed into fertile agricultural land, but which became once again a marshy lake when the tunnel became blocked. After many centuries the lake was drained once again between 1854 and 1876 and is now one of the most fertile agricultural areas of the region.

Several rivers (Pescara, Sagittario, Gizio, Tronto, Trigno, Vomano, Tordino, Salinello, Foro, Alento, Orfa, Orfenta and Sangro) furnish precious water to the entire region whilst feeding its lakes ( Acanni, Barrea Campotosto, Scanno) before emptying into the sea.

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