The Parco regionale del Partenio (regional park) (go to the link) was established in 2002 and covers an area of 36745.13 acres with 22 cities both in the Apennine part of Partenio and in the adjacent valleys: Valle Caudina, Valle del Sabato, and Vallo di Lauro Baianese. The town centres, mainly belonging to provinces of Avellino and Benevento, are often situated along the foothills and the roads connecting them form a circuit surrounding the whole mountain group of Partenio . The territory included in the Parco Regionale del Partenio is dominated by the Partenio Mountain ridge, developing for over 25 km. The ridge is a limy mountain system with slopes cut by rather deep ravines leading rainwater and springs down to the valley The territory of the whole area interested by Parco del Partenio is mainly characterized by woodlands; however, it is also possible to find arboreal and herbaceous cultivations and pastures. Almost the whole area is subject to hydrogeological restrictions. Moreover, large sections of the protected area are subject to landscape protection. Partenio chain represents a real biogeographical island, a green natural lung. The area is served by several regional roads, highways (Caserta-Salerno and Napoli-Bari), via Appia (SS 7) in the north, SS road 7 bis in the south, and railways (Benevento-Napoli and Avellino-Napoli). The park area is crossed by many trails that, leaving from the city centres, develop among chestnut and beech tree woodlands and lead to places of high naturalistic value. The census has concerned an area of about the 15% of the park’s territory which the following cities belong to: Mercogliano, San Martino Valle Caudina, Avella, Ospedaletto d’Alpinolo, Pietrastornina, Sant’Angelo a Scala, Summonte, Monteforte Irpino, Pannarano, San Felice a Cancello.
|
