Isola del Gran Sasso is about 25 kilometers (just over 15 miles) southwest of Teramo in the Abruzzo region (Teramo province). In June 1940, the Interior Ministry established the Isola del Gran Sasso (or Isola Gran Sasso) internment camp in two buildings located approximately two kilometers away from the town. One structure was a guest house belonging to the Basilica of Saint Gabriel, which was owned by the Order of Passionist Fathers. The second building was the former Saint Gabriel Hotel, which at the time was in receivership. In both buildings, the camp was able to accommodate at most 120 people. However, the number of inmates reached 140 in the summer of 1943. The town’s mayor headed the camp, and a few police officers provided security services. The initial group of internees largely consisted of foreign Jews. According to a report submitted to the International Tracing Service (ITS), the camp held 61 foreign Jews between July 6 and November 22, 1940.1 Beginning in early 1941, t...