Parco territoriale attrezzato dell'Annunziata

The Parco territoriale attrezzato dell’Annunziata is a protected nature park in Abruzzo’s Chieti province, set up in 1991 on fifty hectares. A small tributary of the Venna torrent winds through the park, feeding several travertine waterfalls and the remains of old mills once powered by local springs. The park sits where the Venna meets the Foro river, creating a quiet valley of flowing water and stone terraces. Wildlife includes foxes, martens, possibly porcupines, and a rich birdlife of yellow wagtails, wrens, crested tits, blackbirds, green woodpeckers and buzzards. River crabs live in the clear streams while the varied flora carpets the slopes and riverbanks. The abandoned mill system still shows stone channels and wooden gears half-hidden in the undergrowth. Paths follow the watercourse past cascades and mill ruins, leading to viewpoints over the valley. The travertine formations glow white in sunlight and the air carries the sound of running water. Visitors walk shaded by mixed woodland and open meadows where wildflowers appear in spring. The park offers a still corner where the only movement is the flight of birds and the rustle of leaves.