Special Nature Reserve of the Sacro Monte di Belmonte (Valperga)

Nature parks

Special Nature Reserve of the Sacro Monte di Belmonte (Valperga)

Category: Parks

On the hill of Belmonte the landscape alternates between pink granite, sandy gullies and woods. From the top of the hill we dominate the whole plain, from Serra d’Ivrea to the hills of Torino. This area is extremely interesting from an archaeological point of view, because traces of two sites dating back to prehistoric and Lombard times have been found here. In this area significant finds from the Roman period and from the early Middle Ages have also been unearthed. The vegetation comprises on the northern side chestnut woods, and on the southern side chestnut trees, oak trees and birches. On the Sacro Monte (Sacred Mountain) there is also a very important presence of ornamental plants and other species characteristic of cool areas. Some good examples are: the royal fern (Osmunda Regalis), which is the largest fern found in Piemonte, and the drosera (or: sundew), a small carnivorous plant found here in two varieties, the Rotundifolia L (or: round-leaved sundew). and the rarer Drosera Intermedia Hayne (or: Oblong-leaved Sundew).

Information

Area: 349 hectares
Elevation: 400 - 700 metres above sea level
Established: 1991
Environment: hilly
E-mail: parchi.canavese@reteunitaria.piemonte.it
www.parks.it/parchi.canavese
Head Office
Corso Massimo d´Azeglio, 216 - 10081 Castellamonte (To)
Tel. +39.0124.510605 - Fax: +39.0124.514463