Capanne di Marcarolo Nature Park - Piemonte Feel

Nature parks

Capanne di Marcarolo Nature Park

Category: Parks

Lerma

The profile of Monte Tobbio is like a huge pyramid; it is the presence that dominates the entire area of this park located on Marcarolo’s upper plain in the Province of Alessandria’s extreme south. On clear days, you can make out the Golf of Liguria, fewer than ten kilometers away, and the air and climatic influx from the sea, which arrives all the way to this mountain, has allowed alpine flora to cohabitate alongside other plants characteristically Mediterranean. The vegetation is predominantly grass and shrub with frequent peat growth, especially interesting due to the botanical species and the presence of ice-age residue (Aster Alpinus, Genista Radiata). At the park’s northern boundaries, the traces of chestnut cultivation are still visible. Also oaks, beeches, service trees, pear shrubs, blackberry bushes, and after artificial reforestation the cluster-pine, can be seen. Regarding the fauna, there are deer and boars; it is also common to see buzzards, kestrels, goshawks, and harrier eagles. The harrier eagle, a migratory predator, reaches Marcarolo from tropical Africa in March and, thanks to a 190 centimeter wingspan and striking flight techniques, it has become the main attraction and even the symbol of the park. The many nature trails allow for a greater understanding of Marcarolo’s flora and fauna. Some can be encountered on horseback or mountain bike. Over the centuries, human activity has significantly shaped the landscape: large areas have been deforested in order to supply Genoa’s Marine Republic with wood for its construction sites; other areas have been used for pasture and farming. Within the park, the Sacrario della Benedicta rises up, a place purified of the memory of the tragic massacre carried out by the Nazis in 1944 following a round-up.

Information

Area: 8,216 hectares
Altitude: 250-1,172 meters
Founded: 1979
Environment: mountain
E-mail: info@parcocapanne.it
www.parcocapanne.it
Head Office
Via G.B. Baldo, 29 - 15070 Lerma (Al)
Tel. +39.0143.877825