Gran Sasso Laga ICH aims to create an inventory of intangible cultural heritage, strengthen its intergenerational transmission, and promote original cultural itineraries starting from the municipalities in the province of Teramo included in the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake crater (Arsita, Castelli, Colledara, Fano Adriano, Montorio al Vomano, Penna Sant’Andrea, Pietracamela, Tossicia) and, by extension, from numerous municipalities later included in the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic crater in the provinces of Teramo, L’Aquila, and Pescara. These municipalities form part of the ATS UNICO Gran Sasso, led and represented by the Municipality of Crognaleto, and together define a vast territorial system extending over 1,440 km² with 92,306 inhabitants (Campli, Castel Castagna, Castelli, Colledara, Civitella del Tronto, Cortino, Crognaleto, Fano Adriano, Isola del Gran Sasso, Pietracamela, Rocca Santa Maria, Teramo, Torricella Sicura, Tossicia, Valle Castellana, Barete, Cagnano Amiterno, Campotosto, Capitignano, Montereale, Pizzoli, Farindola). This system is unified within the broader project framework known as Living Gran Sasso, funded through the Institutional Development Contract (CIS), with the aim of creating a territorial ecosystem that enhances environmental and cultural heritage, counters depopulation, and fosters economic and social development. The municipality of Basciano is also included, due to its geographical continuity between Castel Castagna and Penna Sant’Andrea. 

The Gran Sasso Laga ICH project pursues its aim through the documentation, elaboration, and dissemination of the intangible cultural heritage of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga using innovative narrative, participatory, and dynamic strategies, involving people and heritage bearers directly. This heritage can sustain quality of life and represents the territory’s distinctive excellence, alongside monumental assets that constitute the tangible dimension of cultural heritage.

Gran Sasso Laga ICH is grounded in direct mediation, authentic knowledge of intangible assets, the willingness of local actors to engage in hospitality, and the sharing of experiences with visitors.

Gran Sasso Laga ICH is enriched with new tools: a Digital Archive, which enhances and makes available the extraordinary documentary deposit collected and safeguarded from research conducted over decades within this vast territory; a Magazine of in-depth analysis, which highlights significant aspects of intangible cultural heritage and the uncovered documentary corpus through thematic, narrative, and visual perspectives. 

Gran Sasso Laga ICH also achieves another important result: a process of integrated, synergistic, and complementary integration of public and private project initiatives, of distinct yet converging actions pursued over multiple years toward a shared objective, supported by three different financial instruments for the various areas of the seismic crater, in line with the principle of fund synergy: INVITALIA – 14 October 2015 and subsequent amendments;  Circular no. 37630 of 21.04.2016 – Tourism intervention for the L’Aquila seismic crater area – Measure II Promotional Projects;

CIPE – Development of cultural potential for tourism attractiveness in the crater area, Art. 11, paragraph 12, Decree 78/2015 converted into Law 125/2015, letter B: activation of activities and programmes for the promotion of tourism and cultural services, strand C – year 2017;

CIS SISMA 2016 – Institutional Development Contract for Central Italy Earthquake Areas, Mission 8 (PNRR), Programme 1 (Next Appennino), Budget Law 2021 (Art. 1, paragraph 191, Law 178/2020), aimed at supporting complementary and integrated projects and investments alongside physical reconstruction, to ensure economic recovery and development in areas affected by the 2016 and 2017 earthquakes.

Added to these is the contribution of Tramontana Network (Creative Europe), particularly with regard to field research and direct photographic, sound, and audiovisual documentation and the creative development of some content.