The Upper Val Pesio and Tanaro Natural Park (Chiusa Pesio) - Piemonte Feel

Nature parks

The Upper Val Pesio and Tanaro Natural Park (Chiusa Pesio)

Category: Parks

Chiusa Pesio

The park is formed by the two valleys –the Pesio and the Alto Tanaro – each of which begins on opposite sides of the highest summit in the Ligurian Alps, Mount Marguareis (2,651 meters). In the subsurface, an imposing alpine Karst system winds about, second only to Trieste’s. The caves are over 150 kilometers long and reach 1,000 meters in depth.
The park area is also known as “little Dolomites” because of its unique landscape: large wooded areas of white maple, beech, and larch. In reality, the entire ecosystem is characterized by a large variety of flora and fauna, due to its special geographic and climatic position.
The animal population is composed of numerous varieties of reptiles and amphibians, and by mammals such as chamois, boars, deer, wolves, and foxes; the winged creatures include the white partridge, the black grouse, the golden eagle, the buzzard, the sparrow hawk, and the goshawk. In the numerous rivers and streams one finds, above all, three varieties of trout: bull trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout.
In the heart of the Pesio Valley is the ancient Charterhouse of Santa Maria, founded in 1173 as the third monastery of the Carthusian Order in Italy. Due to the religious order’s wise management of the woods, today it is possible to see tree species here which are rare in other parts of Italy. Within the religious complex there are 15th century frescos, a 16th century cloister, and an ancient abbey church dating back to the 12th century.

Information

Area: 6770 hectares
Altitude: 780 - 2,651 meters
Founded: 1978
Environment: mountains
E-mail: parcopesio@ruparpiemonte.it
www.parks.it/parchi.cuneesi
Head Office
Via Sant´Anna, 34 - 12013 Chiusa Pesio (Cn)
Tel. +39.0171.734021 - Fax: +39.0171.735166