Trav's short answer
Ovindoli Monte Magnola is getting a €6.2 million expansion with a new four-seat chairlift and three additional ski pistes.The second phase of the project includes the Costa della Tavola chairlift and the Genziana, Costa della Tavola 1 and Costa della Tavola 2 pistes, adding approximately 1.5 km of ski terrain to the Abruzzo resort.
The latest development
Ovindoli's €6.2 million ski-area expansion is moving ahead
The project at Ovindoli Monte Magnola in Abruzzo is financed through Italy's FSC 2021–2027 development funds and follows approval of the executive project in July 2026.
The headline project: a new four-seat Costa della Tavola chairlift will serve three new pistes — Genziana, Costa della Tavola 1 and Costa della Tavola 2.
Ovindoli's municipal government approved the executive design for the second phase on 13 July 2026. Construction-area restrictions were subsequently introduced around parts of Valle Genziana and nearby mountain routes while work progresses.
The key numbers behind Ovindoli's expansion
Genziana Lotto 2 · 2026Published sources describe the Costa della Tavola chairlift as roughly 560–600 metres long. The difference appears to reflect differing project/reporting measurements rather than a change in the basic scope.
What's being built
A new four-seat chairlift will serve three additional pistes
The centrepiece of the project is the new Costa della Tavola four-seat chairlift. Planning documents and regional reporting place the lift in the Genziana and Valle delle Lenzuola area of the Ovindoli Monte Magnola ski domain.
The approved project also includes three pistes named Genziana, Costa della Tavola 1 and Costa della Tavola 2. Local reporting says the additions will create approximately 1.5 km of new piste development.
Costa della Tavola
A new four-seat chairlift of roughly 560–600 metres, depending on the project source and measurement quoted.
Three pistes
The lift will serve the Genziana and two Costa della Tavola pistes, extending the resort's lift-served skiing.
Earlier project information places the lift's lower station at around 1,926 metres and the upper station at approximately 2,032 metres, creating a relatively compact lift serving the newly developed sector.
How it is being funded
The €6.2 million project is backed by FSC 2021–2027 funding
The second phase is being financed through the Fondo per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione 2021–2027, Italy's Development and Cohesion Fund, following regional funding decisions involving the Abruzzo government.
For Ovindoli, the investment forms part of a longer-running strategy to expand and modernise the Monte Magnola ski area and strengthen winter tourism in the Abruzzo Apennines.
Adding lift-served terrain gives the resort more capacity and variety, particularly if the new sector can be integrated effectively with the existing Monte Magnola network.
Environmental debate
The expansion has also faced opposition because it lies inside a protected regional park
The project is not without controversy. Ovindoli Monte Magnola sits within the Sirente-Velino Regional Natural Park, and environmental organisations have opposed ski-area expansion in this part of the mountain for several years.
Groups including environmental and mountaineering organisations have argued that the development could damage protected grassland habitats and wildlife. Supporters of the scheme, meanwhile, argue that investment in mountain infrastructure is important for tourism, employment and the economic future of communities in inland Abruzzo.
Protected mountain habitat
Opponents have raised concerns about construction and piste development within ecologically sensitive areas of the Sirente-Velino park.
Tourism investment
Regional and local officials describe the expansion as an investment in mountain tourism, sport and the economic future of the surrounding communities.
The existence of environmental opposition does not mean the current project lacks approval. The second-phase executive project was formally approved and construction-related restrictions were issued in July 2026.
What happens next?
Construction is underway, with the new ski terrain taking shape ahead of a future winter opening
Municipal and park records show that the project had entered the active works phase during summer 2026. An ordinance published in July restricted access to the construction area and some nearby pistes and mountain routes to allow work to proceed safely.
Recent reporting has linked the project with the upcoming 2026/27 ski season, although a definitive public opening date for the new chairlift has not yet been confirmed. As with any mountain construction project, commissioning will depend on the works programme, testing, authorisations and conditions on site.
For skiers considering Abruzzo, the project is worth watching because it represents a meaningful addition to one of central Italy's major ski areas rather than a straightforward replacement of ageing infrastructure.
Trav's final summary
Ovindoli's €6.2m expansion will add a new lift and three pistes
Ovindoli Monte Magnola is moving ahead with a €6.2 million second-phase expansion backed by FSC 2021–2027 funding. The project centres on a new Costa della Tavola four-seat chairlift and approximately 1.5 km of new piste development.
- New chairlift: the Costa della Tavola four-seater will serve the resort's expanding Genziana sector.
- Three new pistes: Genziana, Costa della Tavola 1 and Costa della Tavola 2 are included in the approved project.
- Environmental debate: the development is progressing inside the Sirente-Velino Regional Park and continues to attract environmental scrutiny.