Abetone Webcam – Tuscany’s Apennine Ski Village

The Abetone Webcam looks northeast across Piazzale Europa, the open square near the top of the Abetone pass in the Tuscan Apennines. It is mounted at the Disco Bar Lupo Bianco, 1,388 meters (4,554 feet) above sea level. Hotels and timber chalets line the left side of the frame, where the road leads into the village center. Straight ahead, a forested hill rises behind a paved terrace with a long railing and a red heart-shaped Abetone sign. On the right, a bare ridge climbs above a valley, and its grassy upper slopes show the season at a glance: tawny brown in autumn, white after a snowfall. Cars and motorcycles cross the square through the day, and on damp days low cloud can fill the valley and hide everything beyond the railing.

About Abetone

Abetone grew up around a road. In the 18th century a road was built over the Apennines to join the Grand Duchy of Tuscany with the Duchy of Modena, with Leonardo Ximenes designing the Tuscan side and Pietro Giardini the Modenese side. It opened on 1 May 1781. During the works the builders felled a fir so large that six people could not link arms around it, and the pass took its name from that tree. Two stone pyramids stand on the old border at the pass, raised in honor of the two rulers whose states the road connected.

The village is now a ski resort in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, with about 50 kilometers (31 miles) of runs, roughly 30 in all, served by 22 lifts. The best known are the three Zeno runs, designed by the skier Zeno Colo. Abetone was a municipality in its own right until the end of 2016, with 629 residents in 2017. On 1 January 2017 it merged with neighboring Cutigliano to form the municipality of Abetone Cutigliano.

Piazzale Europa lies in the Boscolungo part of Abetone. The camera is aimed at the square rather than the slopes, and a small timber hut stands at its right edge, in front of the ridge.

Weather and Climate in Abetone

At this altitude winter is long and snowy. From December to February, daytime highs average 2 to 4 C (36 to 40 F) and nights fall to between -2 and -4 C (25 to 28 F). Snow can fall from November to April, with the heaviest months from December to February, which is when the square and the ridge are most often white. Spring arrives late: April highs reach about 10 C (50 F) with nights near 2 C (35 F), and May, at about 13 C (55 F), is one of the wettest months of the year.

Summer is short, mild and mostly clear. July and August highs average about 22 C (71 F), nights about 13 C (55 F), and July is the driest month, so a sharp ridge under blue sky is most likely then. Autumn cools quickly, from about 17 C (62 F) in September to 12 C (54 F) in October and 7 C (44 F) in November, and October to December are among the wettest months. In early October the deciduous trees among the conifers on the hill turn orange and gold.

Things to Do Near Abetone

In winter the ski area is the main draw, with lifts and runs in the Val di Luce, Monte Gomito and Passo d’Annibale sectors. Monte Gomito rises to 1,892 meters (6,207 feet). In the village itself, the two stone pyramids at the pass mark the line where the Grand Duchy of Tuscany once met the Duchy of Modena.

When the snow has gone, the same mountains are walking country. Alpe Tre Potenze, 1,940 meters (6,365 feet), and Libro Aperto, 1,937 meters (6,355 feet), are two of the summits above Abetone, and Lago Nero, a lake higher in the mountains, is another goal for hikers. The 1781 road still carries traffic over the pass, down toward Pistoia on one side and Modena on the other, and Cutigliano, which has shared a municipality with Abetone since 2017, lies to the southeast.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More mountain cameras in Italy, from the Abetone ski area itself to an Apennine valley and the far south of the country.

• Abetone Val di Luce Webcam
• Valle del Diaterna Webcam
• Gambarie Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Abetone located?

Abetone is in the province of Pistoia in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the Abetone pass through the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines at 1,388 meters (4,554 feet). In a straight line it lies about 31 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of Pistoia, 63 kilometers (39 miles) northwest of Florence and 60 kilometers (37 miles) south-southwest of Modena.

What can you see on the Abetone Webcam?

The camera looks northeast across Piazzale Europa from the Disco Bar Lupo Bianco. Parking bays and crossings fill the foreground, hotels and chalets line the road into the village on the left, and a paved terrace with a red Abetone heart sign runs along the far side of the square. Beyond it are a forested hill and, on the right, a bare ridge above a valley.

Does the Abetone Webcam show the ski slopes or the Ovovia?

No. The camera points across the village square toward the forest and the open ridge, and no lift, gondola or ski run is in frame. The pistes are covered by separate cameras in the Val di Luce and Monte Gomito sectors of the ski area.

What is the weather like in Abetone?

Winters are cold and snowy, with December to February highs of 2 to 4 C (36 to 40 F). Summers are short and mild, with July and August highs near 22 C (71 F), and July is the driest month.

Can you check today’s snow in Abetone on the webcam?

For the village, yes. The square, the parked cars, the terrace and the ridge on the right show at a glance whether snow is lying and whether the road through the square has been cleared. The camera does not show the pistes, so snow on the runs is a question for the ski area’s own reports.

Is Abetone part of Cutigliano?

Yes, since 1 January 2017. Abetone was its own municipality until the end of 2016, when it merged with Cutigliano to form Abetone Cutigliano, in the province of Pistoia.

How big is the Abetone ski area?

About 50 kilometers (31 miles) of runs, roughly 30 in all, served by 22 lifts across the Val di Luce, Monte Gomito and Passo d’Annibale sectors.

Why is it called Abetone?

The name comes from a single tree. While the road over the pass was being built in the 18th century, workers cut down a fir so big that six people could not link arms around its trunk. Abete is Italian for fir, and abetone means a huge one.

Source: Paesaggi Digitali