Parco del Rio Vallone

The Park

Rio Vallone Park is a Local Park (Parco Locale di Interesse Sovracomunale - PLIS) involving the Municipalities of Basiano, Bellusco, Cavenago di Brianza, Gessate, Masate, Ornago and, only recently, Aicurzio, Busnago, Cambiago, Mezzago, Sulbiate, and Verderio Inferiore. Currently the Park involves the territory of two Provinces, Milan and Lecco, covering a total area of 1,181 hectares along the stream Vallone, forming a green lung in a highly urbanized area in the north-east of Milan metropolitan belt. In the protected area system, it works as an important ecological corridor, since it is surrounded in the west by Parco del Molgora, in the south by Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, in the east by Parco Adda Nord, and in the north by Parco di Montevecchia e della Valle del Curone.

Further information (Italian text)

The Environment

The naturalistic, landscape, and environmental features of the Park are the result of the actions of men and nature which, over the centuries, have mutually acted and interacted. The value represented by such features is therefore important to safeguard for the history characterizing them.
Elements of great value alternate with more ordinary features; Consorzio Parco del Rio Vallone tries to promote them both through direct safeguard measures and through popular and cultural activities.

La Fauna

The presence of forests of a certain size, together with a countryside rich in tree lines, as well as the hunting prohibition in a certain area (repopulation and seizure area within the hunting area "Brianteo"), enable the presence in the Park of a number of significant animal species which today is becoming rare to find in the Po Plain.>>>

(all the following links lead to Italian texts)

• Fish
• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Amphibians
• Reptiles
• Birds
• Mammals

Wildlife List (PDF - 33Kb)

Flora and Vegetation

The flora represents the list of vegetal species living in a certain area. The flora list of Rio Vallone Park consists of over 350 different species among trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs, ferns and equiseta.
The natural vegetation is given by a group of different species living in a certain habitat. A forest, a tree line, or a meadow represent examples of vegetation.>>>

(all the following links lead to Italian texts)

• Black Locust Forests
• Tree Lines
• Broadleaf Mixed Forests
• Wet Forests
• The Marshy Vegetation
• Resting Fields
• Shrubby Fields
• Permanent Meadows

Flora List (PDF - 65Kb)

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are among the most sought-after "fruits" the forests (but also other environments) offer us. However, it is necessary to know them very well in order to pick them up and eat them. It is necessary to pay particular attention to the features distinguishing them: sometimes, the most hurried and "greedy" searchers do not pay enough attention, and the consequences can be irreparable. As a matter of fact, next to edible mushrooms there are poisonous and even lethal mushrooms. If you are a beginner in this field, it is better if you limit yourself to admire these unique and mysterious fruits which, especially in autumn, enrich the soil of the forests, old coppices, and even grassy areas.>>>

The Park Mushrooms (PDF - 550Kb)