Lucano Val d'Agri-Lagonegrese Apennine Park

Access

The area can be reached from Potenza and Maratea via the 'Fondo Valle dell'Agri' state road and the del Mediterraneo (Lagonegro Nord and Lauria exits). The centres of Marsico Nuovo, Viggiano and Moliterno are the main access and information points for visitors.

.

Introduction

The Appennino Lucano Val d'Agri-Lagonegrese National Park is the youngest Italian national protected area, established by Decree of the President of the Republic on 8 December 2007. It covers 68,996 hectares entirely in Basilicata, in the province of Potenza, comprising 29 municipalities distributed between the Val d'Agri, Val Camastra, Alta Valle del Melandro and the Lagonegrese area. Situated between the Pollino National Park and the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, it plays a fundamental role as an ecological corridor in maintaining the biogeographical continuity of the southern Apennines.

Description

The park's territory embraces the central part of the Lucanian Apennines, comprising ridges and massifs stretching from the Volturino (1,835m) and Pierfaone (1,735m) mountains to Mount Sirino, with mountain environments exceeding 2,000 metres and vast wooded areas covering about half the surface. Between these ranges opens the wide basin of the Val d'Agri, dominated by the course of the river of the same name and dotted with small natural lakes and artificial reservoirs such as that of Pietra del Pertusillo. The Maddalena mountains form a gentle, undulating band that joins the park's two main ridges, offering sweeping views and diverse habitats. The landscape alternates between high-altitude beech forests, extensive oak and chestnut groves, olive groves and vineyards that bear witness to the ancient presence of man.
The altimetric and climatic variety has favoured the development of an extraordinarily rich flora: there are more than 1,200 species, including numerous Apennine endemics and an extraordinary concentration of wild orchids (more than 90 species). Beech and turkey oak forests dominate the medium altitudes, while the warmer areas are home to downy oak, hornbeam and ash. The silver fir, once widespread, survives in relict nuclei such as that of Laurenzana. Among the park's wetlands, the shores of Lake Pietra del Pertusillo are an important resting and nesting area for migratory birdlife.
The fauna reflects the complexity of the Apennine ecosystems: wolves, foxes, wildcats and badgers find refuge in the woods; raptors include the golden eagle, the short-toed eagle and the griffon vulture, while the otter has returned to the waterways, an indication of the high environmental quality. The hilly areas are home to wild boar, fallow deer and a diverse avifauna, including the black stork and the rare Egyptian vulture. The presence of scarcely anthropised areas has allowed the conservation of nationally endangered species.
From the anthropic and cultural point of view, the Park includes villages of great historical and architectural interest such as Marsico Nuovo, Moliterno, Viggiano and Grumentum, the latter famous for the remains of a Roman colony located along the Via Herculea. Fossil remains of Pleistocene mammals also surface in various localities, bearing witness to the area's natural antiquity. Traditional productive activities, from transhumant breeding to wood processing, today coexist with challenges related to sustainable development, including coexistence with the mining activity of the Val d'Agri oil field, one of the main ones in Europe.
The Park promotes conservation and sustainable development objectives of local communities according to the Framework Law 394/1991. Its aims include the protection of biodiversity, the valorisation of the rural and cultural heritage and the creation of an ecological network linking Pollino and Cilento. Management policies focus on environmental education, nature tourism and safeguarding the Lucanian mountain landscape.

Information

Area: 68,996 ha
Minimum/maximum altitude: 300 m - 2005 m
Highest peak: Monte Sirino (2.005m)
Municipalities concerned: Abriola, Anzi, Armento, Brienza, Calvello, Carbone, Castelsaraceno, Gallicchio, Grumento Nova, Lagonegro, Laurenzana, Lauria, Marsico Nuovo, Marsicovetere, Moliterno, Montemurro, Nemoli, Paterno, Pignola, Rivello, San Chirico Raparo, San Martino d'Agri, Sarconi, Sasso di Castalda, Satriano di Lucania, Spinoso, Tito, Tramutola, Viggiano.
Year of institution: 2007
Managing body: Lucano Val d'Agri-Lagonegrese Apennine National Park Authority
Official site: www.parcoappenninolucano.it