Parks and natural reserve in Ciociaria

LAKE POSTA FUBRENO NATURE RESERVE

The Reserve, created by Latium's Regional Authority in 1983, has an extension of 400 ha, covered mainly by oaks, English oaks, willows, poplars and by a number of otther tree species, as well as thick cane groves by the lake banks. The lake Posta Fibreno springs out at the foot of the western Marsica. It lies at some 290 m above sea level within the Nature Reserve district.

This territory has a rich fauna heritage, comprising hedgehogs, moles, hares, squirrels, foxes, stone-martens, polecats, deers and coypus. The lake's waters are stocked with reptiles, amphibious animals and a host of fish varieties, among which the well-known Fibreno's Carp, the Sardinian trout, the three-spined stickleback, the carp and the tench.

Yet fishing in the lake is allowed only to the local people. The surface of the lake is some 287 m and it reaches a depth of 15 m with a muddy bed covered by algaes. Due to lake's morphologic features, the water temperature maintains costantly at 10 C all year round. A special featue of lake Posta Fibreno is the floating island, a 30m platform covered by vegetation, formed through the accumulation of peat, roots and fen plants and that moves within the basin pushed by the water currents.

SELVA DI PALIANO

One of the most captivating places as for its nature heritage is the Artificial Oasis of the vast estate of Prince Antonello Ruffo of Calabria, known as the Paliano National Park 'La selva'. Among vineyards, woods, ponds and meadows, some 200 bird species from all over the world, some of which very rare or endangered, are kept in this place, which is a unique attraction in its genre.

REGIONAL PARK OF THE APPENNINES 'SIMBRUINI MOUNTS'

The Park of Simbruini Mounts extends over 30,000 ha, across many counties between Frosinone and Rome. It was created in 1983 and because of its karst nature comprises many captivating caves. The highest peak of this range, rising over Latium and Abruzzi, is Mount Viglio, which reaches as high as 2,156m.

The vegetation, thick and luxuriant, is characterized by oak and beech woods on the lower slopes, and by typical highlands flora at higher altitudes.

Especially interesting is the peculiar presence in this area of some rare species of orchids.

In the least accessible zones of the park, several rare examples of wolves, as well as the by now almost extinct Marsicano bear have been signalled. The fauna heritage is enriched by other mammals such as the roedeer, the fox, the wild cat, the wild boar and squirrel.

The forest habitat is a safe shelter, too, for many birds and birds of prey such as the golden eagle and the peregrine falcon. The main waterways, running across the Natural Park district, are the rivers Aniene and Simbrivio, whose waters are stocked with the brown trout, the barbel and the increasingly rare freshwater crayfish, as well as a host of reptiles and amphibious species.

AURUNCI MOUNTS NATURE PARK

The Nature Park of the Aurunci Mounts lies across the Liri-Garigliano watercourse, the Tyrrhenian Sea and the nearby massif of the Ausoni Mounts; its territory stretches over several counties of the provinces of Latina and Frosinone. It was founded by Latium's Regional Authority in 1997 and has a total surface of almost 20,000 ha.

The morphology of this Appennine ridge is characterized by many karst formations, both on the surface and in the underground.

Vegetation is scarse because of many arid rocky ledges, yet there are beech woods with hollies.

The local flora is also enriched by more than 50 species of orchids of extremely high botanical interest. The district is stocked with a host of wild mammals, bords of prey, reptiles and amphibious species; the waterways are inhabited by the sea and river lamprey, as well as other small endagered fish.

Within the park it is also possible to visit some shrines, such as Madonna della Civita, S. Michele Arcangelo and the Monument to Jesus and the Monument to Jesus the Reddemer.

NATIONAL PARK OF ABRUZZI, LATIUM AND MOLISE – LATIUM'S SLOPE

This area of high environment value stretches from the National Park of Abruzzi to the Regional Reserve of Fibreno, surrounded by imposing Appennine massifs followed by gorges crossed by many torrential waterways, such as the Vallone Lucerno and Vallone of Capo d'Acqua. The nature heritage here is an harmonious fusion between farmed land and wilderness.

On the plain land and up to the mountains' foot there are plenty of olive groves and vineyards, whereas at higher altitudes there are a lot of oak and beech woods, as well as mixed woods.

The fauna here is that typical of the Abruzzi Park; among the most peculiar species are the Marsicam bear, the wolf, the roe, the deer, the Abruzzi chamois and the golden eagle.

Texts and photos courtesy of A.P.T. di Frosinone