Submission

The Gran Sasso Calderone (Abruzzo, Italy) is the southernmost glacier in Europe, destined to disappear within the next 30 years. It is located between 2800 and 2650 meters above sea level, in a shady hollow down the Corno Grande (2912 m.), the highest peak of the Apennines. The Gran Sasso glacier, located near Mediterranean Sea, has an anomalous behavior compared to Alpine glaciers. It responds quickly to climate changes, providing very useful data in order to understand how the climate will evolve in the upcoming years. Furthermore since 1994 its extent has decreased by more than 65% due to less frequent snowfall and the African anticyclone. Nowadays it has come to measure just over two hectares, which is the equivalent of three soccer fields. Where the last giant sleeps documents the slow death of Gran Sasso Calderone, with a specific focus on the changes related to the territory, the transition of tourism and the adaptation of local living species. Moreover, on a planet where humans are the only living being who are directly forcing the course of nature, talking about the disappearance of a glacier means preserving its historical and environmental memory.