Pollino National Park
Encyclopedia
The Pollino National Park (Italian: Parco nazionale del Pollino) is a national park
in Basilicata
and Calabria
, southern Italy
. Comprised within the provinces
of Cosenza
, Matera
and Potenza
, with its 1,820 square kilometres it is the largest natural park in the country. It takes its name from the Pollino Massif (highest peak 2,267 m).
It was founded in 1992 and includes both natural and archaeological points of interest. The park's symbol is the Bosnian Pine
, which here has one of its last remaining growing areas in Italy. Towns with interesting sights include Rotonda, Castrovillari
, Morano Calabro
(convent of Colloreto), Laino Castello
, Mormanno
, Scalea
, Papasidero
, Civita
, Cerchiara
(church of Madonna delle Armi). Albanian-speaking communities are present in communes such as San Paolo Albanese
, San Costantino Albanese
and others. In the Valle del Mercure have been discovered remains of pre-historic species such as Elephas antiquus and Hippopotamus major
.
Rivers and streams include the Lao, Sinni, Coscile and Raganello.
Amongst the various trees of the park, notable species include Abies alba
, Acer lobelii
, Fagus sylvatica
, Pinus heldreichii
, Pinus nigra
, Taxus baccata
and others. Wildlife include Golden Eagle
, Italian Wolf, Roe Deer
, Black Woodpecker
, Chough
, Peregrine Falcon
, Red Kite
, Lanner Falcon
, Driomys nitedula, Egyptian Vulture
, European Otter
and Deer
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
and Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Comprised within the provinces
Provinces of Italy
In Italy, a province is an administrative division of intermediate level between a municipality and a region .-Overview:...
of Cosenza
Province of Cosenza
The Province of Cosenza is a province in the Calabria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Cosenza.It has an area of 6,650 km², and a total population of 733,797 . It is the biggest Calabrian Province...
, Matera
Province of Matera
The Province of Matera is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Matera.It has an area of 3,447 km², and a total population of 203,837 . There are 31 comunes in the province . The main comunes by population are:- External links :* **...
and Potenza
Province of Potenza
The Province of Potenza is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.-Geography:It has an area of 6,545 km² and a total population of 387,107 . There are 100 comuni in the province .-History:In 272 B.C. the province was conquered by the Greek army...
, with its 1,820 square kilometres it is the largest natural park in the country. It takes its name from the Pollino Massif (highest peak 2,267 m).
It was founded in 1992 and includes both natural and archaeological points of interest. The park's symbol is the Bosnian Pine
Bosnian Pine
The Bosnian Pine is a species of pine native to Bosnia but is also found in the mountains of southeastern Europe, in southwestern Bulgaria, Bosnia, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, northern Greece , and locally in southern Italy ,...
, which here has one of its last remaining growing areas in Italy. Towns with interesting sights include Rotonda, Castrovillari
Castrovillari
Castrovillari is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. As of 2010 its population was of 22,586..-History:...
, Morano Calabro
Morano Calabro
Morano Calabro is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:The municipality borders with Castrovillari , Mormanno, Rotonda, San Basile, Saracena, Terranova di Pollino and Viggianello.-Campotenese:Its frazione , the village of Campotenese, is...
(convent of Colloreto), Laino Castello
Laino Castello
Laino Castello is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy....
, Mormanno
Mormanno
Mormanno is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is located in the heart of the National Park of Pollino, near the course of the Lao River....
, Scalea
Scalea
Scalea is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.The town takes its name from its terraced lay-out on the hillside, at the bottom of the Capo Scalea promontory...
, Papasidero
Papasidero
Papasidero is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is part of the Pollino National Park.-Geography:...
, Civita
Civita, Italy
Civita is a hilltown and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Facing the Ionian Sea, it is part of the Pollino National Park....
, Cerchiara
Cerchiara di Calabria
Cerchiara di Calabria is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.Cercharia occupies the ancient site of Arponium in Magna Graecia, under the Byzantine name of Circlarium...
(church of Madonna delle Armi). Albanian-speaking communities are present in communes such as San Paolo Albanese
San Paolo Albanese
San Paolo Albanese is a village and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy.-Geography:The village is bordered by Alessandria del Carretto , Cersosimo, Noepoli, San Costantino Albanese and Terranova di Pollino....
, San Costantino Albanese
San Costantino Albanese
San Costantino Albanese is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata....
and others. In the Valle del Mercure have been discovered remains of pre-historic species such as Elephas antiquus and Hippopotamus major
Hippopotamus major
Hippopotamus major is an extinct species of hippopotamus found in Pleistocene fossil sites in Europe and Great Britain....
.
Rivers and streams include the Lao, Sinni, Coscile and Raganello.
Amongst the various trees of the park, notable species include Abies alba
Silver Fir
Abies alba, commonly known as the European silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, and south to southern Italy and northern Serbia.-Description:...
, Acer lobelii
Acer lobelii
Acer lobelii is a rare maple native to southern Italy and the western Balkans. Synonyms include Acer platanoides subsp. lobelii Gams and Acer cappadocicum subsp...
, Fagus sylvatica
European Beech
Fagus sylvatica, the European Beech or Common Beech, is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.-Natural range:...
, Pinus heldreichii
Bosnian Pine
The Bosnian Pine is a species of pine native to Bosnia but is also found in the mountains of southeastern Europe, in southwestern Bulgaria, Bosnia, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, northern Greece , and locally in southern Italy ,...
, Pinus nigra
European Black Pine
Pinus nigra, the European Black Pine, is a moderately variable species of pine, occurring across southern Mediterranean Europe from Spain to the Crimea, in Asia Minor and on Cyprus, and in the high mountains of the Maghreb in North Africa....
, Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
and others. Wildlife include Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, Italian Wolf, Roe Deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Black Woodpecker
Black Woodpecker
The Black Woodpecker, Dryocopus martius, is a large woodpecker, 45–50 cm long with a 64–84 cm wingspan. Body weight is approximately 300-400 grams on average. It is easily the largest woodpecker in its range...
, Chough
Chough
The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...
, Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, Red Kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
, Lanner Falcon
Lanner Falcon
The Lanner Falcon is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season.-Description:...
, Driomys nitedula, Egyptian Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
The Egyptian Vulture is a small Old World vulture, found widely distributed from southwestern Europe and northern Africa to southern Asia. It is the only living member of the genus Neophron. It has sometimes also been known as the White Scavenger Vulture or Pharaoh's Chicken...
, European Otter
European Otter
The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
and Deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...