Italian News Headlines 26-09-2023 - Cosa Nostra mafia boss, Messina Denaro, has died of colon cancer at the age of 62. He was being held in a maximum security prison after 30 years on the run. He was responsible for dozens of murders including those of anti-mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino --- Giorgio Napolitano, the only Italian President to be elected twice, has died in Rome at the age of 98 --- Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, met with European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, on the Italian island of Lampedusa to discuss the European refugee crisis after more than 7,000 migrants arrived from Tunisia in a single week --- Venetian authorities vote to introduce 'ticket only' access to the city from 2024 --- A man who posted a video of himself carving his name into the wall of the Colosseum, while his girlfriend watched, has been identified as living in Britain --- Following the death of Silvio Berlusconi, on June 12th, Antonio Tajani will be appointed the new president of Forza Italia --- Silvio Berlusconi, 4 times Italian prime minister, has died at the age of 86 from complications resulting from Leukaemia --- Extreme weather in Emilia-Romagna has led to 14 dead and 35,000 displaced. There are 500 roads closed and over over 300 sites at risk of landslides --- Two new victims of the Vesuvius eruption in 79AD have been discovered during excavations in Pompei
Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park

Appennino Tosco-Emiliano
(Tuscany / Emilia-Romagna)

Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park (Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco-Emiliano) is a 260 square kilometre expanse separating the Po Valley and Mediterranean Sea. The area contains two regional parks and four state nature reserves.

Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park
click to enlarge

The park covers four regions: Lucca, Massa and Carrara, Reggio Emilia and Parma. It is also one of Italy’s youngest National Parks, being established in 2001.

Humans have been treading the grass of the park for thousands of years. Many historic sites such as medieval fortresses, ancient roads and churches point to journeys from shepherds and pilgrims over the years, attracted to the site by its beauty, pastures, woods and seemingly endless water supply.

Like many national parks in Italy, the forests have previously been mined for the timber trade. Nowadays, the primary trade is food and drink. Many hills are dedicated to extensive dairy farming, responsible for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, with other areas of grassland responsible for the cultivation of vineyards and olive groves.

The geology of the area is of great interest to archaeologists. Running right through the park is the Secchia Valley which contains Jurassic ophiolites, Cretaceous turbidites and Triassic Chalks, including limestones and dolomites, dating from over 200 million years ago. Sandstone bedrock can be seen throughout some areas of the park, along with fish fossils, which hark back to the area having previously been located under the Tethys Sea, from the Mesozoic Era and early Cenozoic Era.

Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park

Secchia Valley’s karst terrain is also one of its most intriguing features. The expansive area contains sinkholes, caves as well as sizable mountains, the largest of which is Alpe di Succiso at just over 2,000 metres.

The varying altitudes of the park allow for some fascinating fauna to thrive. The peaks of the Prado, Cusna and Piella mountains are in themselves very cold climates, where it is not unusual to see snow survive until late summer. The height of elevations through the park is also responsible for the different levels of plant species.

Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park
Photo: tramundi.it

The bottom valleys comprise chestnut and oak woodlands, whereas beech and spruce trees can be seen above 1,000 feet. Near the upper peaks of the Apennines, many rare species of plants can be found amongst the blueberry groves and clusters of Garofanini. These can also be found in the Orecchiella Natural Park, where lies a botanical garden serving to preserve autochthonous fauna including over 400 varieties of plants, fossils and specimens.

The park’s wildlife is also a huge source of interest for visitors. Apennine wolves, bats, buzzards, red deer and golden eagles call the park home. It is not unusual for hikers to see such animals as they trail the 28 stages of the famous 425 km Grande Escursione Appenninica (Great Apennine Excursion).

Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park
Apennine Wolf - Photo: Gilles PRETET

The National Park also takes up 19 km of the Via Francigena pilgrim trail which begins in Canterbury, England and ends in Rome.

The Best Italian Handmade Gifts
Direct From Italy

Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park

More Details

Regional Events
The Palio

Viareggio Carnival
Festival of Sant Efisio

Rificolona
Venice Carnival

Umbria Jazz
The Sartiglia
Calcio Fiorentino
ROMEWEATHER
Other pages you might like
Made in Italy
Newsletter
Enter your email address below to receive our free newsletter, 'I Love Italy'. It provides a captivating glimpse into the allure of 'The Bel Paese', containing extracts from our most recent articles, a window on Italian news, fashion, music and culture, useful information for visiting and living in Italy as well as our latest, delicious Italian recipes.

Subscribers are also entitled to a 10% discount on purchases from our sister-site, Italy Gifts Direct.

We will not use your email address for any other purpose or pass it on to any other organisation and you can unsubscribe from this service at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.