Landscape and Nature of Umbria

Cover page: 

It is the landscape in this part of Umbria which exerts the most lasting impression. Here you will find rolling hills and rocky peaked mountains. Everywhere you look there is a beautiful landscape filled with poplars, cypress and parasol pines. Here, the architecture is in harmony with nature.

The clipped hedges of Umbrian gardens are an example of the Italian urge to order nature. In this area of steep hills, narrow valleys and dense forests there are many stone hill towns dating back to medieval times.

The area is populated with deer, hare and rabbits, foxes, badgers, wolves and wild boar. Here you will find song birds, thrushes, starlings, wrens, doves, pheasants and cuckoos.

Umbria has numerous protected areas:

The Monti Sibillini National Park, a number of Regional Parks (Colfiorito, Monte Cucco, Monte Subasio, the Tiber River Park, Trasimeno, the Nera River Park), the STINA, ads well as other smaller reserves such as the parks of Sette Frati and Villalba, Lake Alviano (WWF reserve) and La Valle (Legambiente reserve).

Monti Sibillini National Park (17,790 hectares on the border between Umbria and Le Marche). Established in 1993 it covers the mountainous area where legend has it that the cave of the fortune-teller Sybil was found. It is a land of magical charm, impregnated with legends and embellished with fortified towns, towers, churches and abbeys set into the green surroundings. Here is the source of the Nera River, which carves out one of the most beautiful valleys of the entire Apennine range, and the highest peaks in the region, dominated by Monte Vettore (2476 m).

Opening out on the western slope of the Apennines is a spectacular karst depression, the series of plains known as the Piani di Castelluccio, formed by Pian Perduto, Pian Grande, and Pian Piccolo; near the latter is the Macchia Cavaliere, a beech wood of enormous naturalistic value. The flora in the park is particularly rich: vast forests and 1800 species of flowers, including the Apennine edelweiss, alpine anemone, and various orchids.

The abundant fauna includes wolves, porcupines, wildcats, and majestic raptors such as eagles and the Eurasian eagle owl. The most representative fauna are the meadow viper, a protected species, and chirocephalus marchesoni, a small red crustacean (unique in the world) which populates Lake Pilato. Served by numerous trails, the Monti Sibillini Park is a wonderful place for hiking. A fantastic itinerary is the Grande Anello, 120 kilometres for a nine-day trek along the entire massif of the Sibillini. Other sports opportunities include skiing,  mountaineering, horseback riding, mountain biking, hang-gliding, para sailing, and rock climbing.

www.sibillini.net

Colfiorito Regional Park (established in 1995,  338 hectares) -  is a vast karst plateau formed by seven dry lake beds, encircled by gently rolling hills. Within this expanse lies the marsh of Colfiorito, a wetlands area of international importance with a rich proliferation of aquatic flora. With its abundance of bird life, it is a wonderful place for birdwatching enthusiasts. The heights surrounding the plain were once dotted with castellieri, prehistoric settlements typical of the centuries preceding the arrival of the Romans. The park territory includes the peak of Monte Orve, which offers breathtaking vistas, as well as the remains of the Roman city of Plestia.

www.parks.it/parco.colfiorito/Eindex.html

Monte Cucco Regional Park (1995) - is a paradise for sports lovers. It extends for 10,480 hectares around the peak (1556 m) in the north-eastern part of Umbria. The area is characterised by grandiose karst phenomena: underground caves, deep valleys furrowed by crystalline rivers, and mineral springs. It conserves the virtually unspoilt beech woods and hosts golden eagles and wolves, and the water courses are inhabited by crayfish.

Sites of particular naturalistic interest include the Rio Freddo and Balzo dell'Aquila gorges, the imposing Corno di Catria, the canyon known as Valle delle Prigioni, and the karst plateau of Macinare, a marvel of meadows and beech woods. In the bowels of the massif, the Valdorbia subterranean caves, dug by man, extend for dozens of  kilometres, while the Grotta del Monte Cucco penetrates into the depths (down to more than 990 metres) for 30 kilometres, one of the most extensive karst systems in Italy.

Three towns are set on this natural backdrop: Fossato di Vico, Sigillo, and Costacciaro, embellishing the view with their ancient walls and towers. With 120 kilometres of excellent trails, the attraction for hikers is irresistible, as well as for those who love horseback riding, mountain biking, para sailing, hang gliding, canyoning, and cross-country skiing (on the Pian delle Macinare).

The Grotta del Monte Cucco affords an opportunity to practice spelunking; the Centro Escursionistico Naturale Speleologico is headquartered in a former monastery in Costacciaro.

www.parks.it/parco.monte.cucco

Monte Subasio Regional Park (1995, 7442 hectares) - is the park of spirituality, its territory encompasses  Assisi, the mystical epicentre of Umbria. Over the centuries, the city of St. Francis and the mount, the "Monte de Assisio", have always had a close bond of interdependence: Assisi used its pink stone, forests and pastures, redesigning the physiognomy of the landscape. The peak (1290 m) rises above the Umbra Valley and also forms the backdrop for Spello and Nocera Umbra. Prevalently flat and furrowed by sinkholes, fissures, and karst pits, it is characterized by a large variety of environments.

www.parks.it/parco.monte.subasio

Tiber River Park (1995, 7925 hectares) winds along 50 kilometres of river, from the hills of Todi to the Alviano nature reserve, passing through the gorge of Forello, the highlands of Prodo and Titignano (not far from Orvieto), and the made-made lake of Corbara, which changed the landscape without, we are pleased to say, diminishing its beauty. The river banks and all the adjacent territory are dotted with ruins and finds of the epochs of the Umbrians, Etruscans, and Romans, for whom the Tiber was a vital communication artery. The park is  virtually one large archaeological site. In its wildest points, such as the gorge of Forello, the banks are covered with lush vegetation and provide habitats for ospreys, red kites, and sparrow hawks. The waters of Lake Corbara (created for hydroelectric purposes) teem with carp, eel, and chub,  attracting as many water birds as fishermen. The blocking of the Tiber in 1963 produced, in addition to the Corbara basin, an unexpected but happy consequence: 500 hectares of wetlands, swamps, and marshes that became the perfect breeding ground and way station for 150 species of aquatic and migratory birds. Here hiking, affords fantastic vistas.

www.parks.it/parco.fluviale.tevere

The Petrified Forest of Dunarobba (in the vicinity of Avigliano) is one of the most interesting paleontological sites in the world, preserving some fossil tree trunks over two million years old.
The phenomenon observed here is different from that of other petrified forests, as the fossilised trunks maintain their original consistency and erect position.

www.forestafossile.it

Trasimeno Regional Park's (1995)  establishment was of vital importance in order to preserve an extremely delicate natural environment, hard pressed by the tourism on the lake. Excellent results have been accomplished: the water and beaches are clean, and many areas, such as the islands and valleys, have maintained their naturalistic qualities.

Right from the first glance, the landscape is completely enchanting.

The park (13,200 hectares) covers the entire surface of Lake Trasimeno, the largest in Italy (excluding the Alpine lakes), and also incorporates many towns along its shore. Three islands emerge from the lake (seven metres at maximum height): Isola Polvese, now a scientific park, Isola Maggiore, inhabited year-round, and Isola Minore.

In addition to the fish, pride and joy of the local cuisine, Lake Trasimeno is important as a way station for migratory birds, including herons, swans, and egrets. San Savino di Magione is home to the Oasi la Valle, established in 1996 and managed by Legambiente: a vast wetlands of notable importance, 500 hectares of cane thickets precious for the bird life and in particular for migratory birds. The centre organizes guided visits,  aboard electric boats.

www.parks.it/parco.trasimeno/Eindex.html

Furrowed by the course of the rivers Nera and Velino, which flows into the Nera precipitating  the spectacular falls of the Cascata delle Marmore, the Nera River Park (1995, 2120 hectares) is worthy of its nickname "park of waters". The valley of the Nera, or Valnerina as it is called, offers a fascinating landscape: the river is wedged between steep walls, and indcludes rare species such as cranes and ospreys.

www.parcodelnera.it

The Cascata delle Marmore has ancient artificial origins: the Romans diverted the course of the Velino River towards the 165-metre high drop off, creating what is now a popular tourist attraction.

The entire zone is important for sports tourism, in particular water sports: kayak, canoe, hydrospeed and rafting. Also free climbers, can enjoy the excellent facilities dedicated to them.

Outside the park, just a short distance from the falls, is Lago di Piediluco, the second largest natural lake in Umbria, a pleasant spot ringed by mountains and colorful houses and the site of world-class rowing competitions.

www.cascatedellemarmore.it

The Oasi di Alviano Reserve is managed by the WWF, with two nature trails equipped with huts, foot-bridges, and towers for birdwatchers. The Tiber River Park lends itself to numerous sports activities: in addition to hiking, horseback riding, and cycling, visitors can also engage in canoing, kayaking, and caving. In the proximity of the park, at the foot of Monte Peglia, lies the Sette Frati nature reserve, 25 hectares of unspoilt woods.

www.oasidialviano.it

In the central-western sector of the region is the Parco S.T.I.N.A. (Sistema Territoriale di Interesse Naturalistico and Ambientale) of Monte Peglia-Selva di Meana, recently established (1999) and managed by the local Comunità Montana. The considerable variety of flora comprises more than a thousand species, with rare jewels such as Cytinus ruber. The vast expanse of the STINA (44,270 hectares) includes three nature reserves: the Selva di Meana-Allerona (3255 hectares of forests populated by badgers and martens), the Bosco della Melonta (1154 hectares characterised by ilex groves and the Eurasian eagle owl), and San Venanzo (126 hectares). There are also zones of paleontological interest: the prehistoric deposits of Monte Peglia, dating to 700,000 years ago, and the desposits of Fabro and Ficulle, rich in fossils. Outside the park, on the border with the Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve in Latium, is the protected area of Villalba (25 hectares), with dense woods and precious flowers.

Finally, there is the splendid Fonti del Clitunno, situated on the Via Flaminia between Spoleto and Foligno, where crystalline water gushes from fissures in the stone, collecting to form a small lake and then channeled into the river. The springs were sacred to the Romans, who came here to listen to the oracles of the god Clitumnus. They were celebrated by Virgil, Propertius, and Pliny the Younger, and centuries later inspired Byron, Carducci, and Corot. A visit to the Fonti del Clitunno still stirs the same emotions today.

www.fontidelclitunno.com