Ovindoli is a village and comune

Comune

In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...

of the province of L'Aquila

Province of L'Aquila

thumb|left|200px|Map of the province.The Province of L'Aquila is the largest, most mountainous and least densely populated province of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It comprises about half the landmass of Abruzzo and occupies the western part of the region...

 in the Abruzzo

Abruzzo

Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...

 region of central Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. Close to Rome, it is a popular resort for both summer and winter sports, including hiking, biking, equestrian activities and downhill and cross-country skiing.

Geography

Ovindoli lies in the Apennine Mountains of Abruzzo, within the regional park of Sirente-Velino.

History

Ovindoli became known as a downhill skiing destination following the First World War, but it was not until 1959 that the mountain organized as a modern ski resort; at the time, it was called Valturvema. During the 1961-62 season, ski lifts began to operate and the trails were expanded. Charles Rogers, an American working at that time in the US Embassy in Rome served as President of the Society that worked to develop the area as a ski resort and oversaw the expansion activities. In 1994, the ski resort changed management and was named Monte Magnola and modernized with new trails, ski lifts and snow making capabilities.