• Emilia-Romagna

• Regional Parks

• Apennines - Po River Basin

Frignano Park

With an area of over 15 thousand hectares and a territory going from 500m above sea level to the 2,000m of Cimone summit, the highest mountain of Appennino Tosco-Emiliano, Frignano Park has a rich and extremely varied environment from a naturalistic point of view. Unique habitats, whose biodiversity must be preserved, favor the growth and conservation of rare vegetal and animal species. Glacial cirques live together with other cirques that have become peat bogs, beech woodlands with large undergrowth covering, nival valleys at the foot of the highest mountains, over which the Golden Eagle and other birds of prey circle.
In the following pages you will find detailed information on the Park, territorial features, and the flora and wildlife populating it.

(the following links lead to Italian texts)

• Habitat and species of Community interest
• The Park numbers
• Accessibility for people with disabilities

Features of the Area

With a difference in height going from 500m above sea level to the 2,000m of the highest summit, Frignano Park is characterized by very different naturalistic environments: large valleys crossed by streams alternate with thick beech and conifer woodlands, large blueberry moorlands give way to clear stretches of water.
The long ridge preserves evidences of the glaciations involving the upper valleys of the Apennines, and in particular of the last one, called "Würm glaciation", dating back to a period between 75,000 and 10,000 years ago. Under the summit, you can easily find glacial cirques with their classic rounded basins, often mitigated by the subsequent erosion: wonderful examples can be found on the slopes of Mt. Giovo - Mt. Rondinaio group, with Lago Santo and Lago Baccio, and between Rondinaio and Foce Giovo, with Torbido and Turchino small lakes.

Further information (Italian text)

Flora

The deep climatic and geological changes involving the Park territory have enabled the development of a varied and abundant vegetation, diversified according to the altitude.
The dominating vegetable environment is represented by the beech wood covering the mountain strip and setting (approximately at 1,700 meters) the upper limit of the arboreal vegetation. In the richest formations, the beech grows with Sycamore Maples, Alpine Goldenchain Trees, and Rowans.

Further information (Italian text)

Fauna

Frignano Park is situated in the middle of a large region of protected areas - it borders in the south with Orecchiella Park, in the west with Gigante Park, and in the east with Corno alle Scale Park - in an ideal position to preserve a very rich and varied wildlife. As a matter of fact, the territory is populated by some rare species like the wolf - considered an endangered species until a few years ago - the Goshawk, the Pine Marten, the Golden Eagle, and the Eagle Owl. The mountains are populated by several marmot colonies, while in the meadows alternating with the woodlands it is possible to sight the deer. In the bordering areas with Corno alle Scale Park you can observe the very quick run of the muflon, and also the porcupine has been recently sighted.

Further information (Italian text)