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Town: ROCCA PRIORA
The cerquone, near the town of Rocca Priora and Monte Fiore, is, like the Chigi’s
park in Ariccia, a valid example, of an original wood which
has not been destroyed by the introduction of chestnuts. Within
this wood there are a lot of quercus peduncolata and turkey
oaks, and a group of cerris trees.
This area is a 75,5-hectare-wide forest reserve belonging to
the Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani.
Area's Natural Characteristics
This wood for its natural characteristics is one of those which
mostly represents how Castelli Romani’s ancient woods
were. It is a mesophyll wood with huge trees (sometimes reaching
even 3 metres of girth). Among these trees there are: the quercus
peduncolata, the turkey oak, and the white hornbeam. The herbaceous
species too belong to those growing in cold climatic areas:
anemones, and the red lily that is protected by the Law Legge
regionale 19 settembre 1974, no. 61.
This wood hosts more than 20 different species of nesting birds;
some of these species are very interesting as they usually live
in the wildest forests: the picus virdis, the dendrocopus major,
and the woodpecker. Often it is possible to see the buzzard.
This daily bird of prey is small, with large wings having whitish
and brownish feathers. Its other feathers are generally brownish,
but the colour is different from bird to bird. Its chirp is
really particular: a sort of long “piiiu”. Among
the passerines there are: chaffinches, the great tit, the tit,
the robin and the blackcap.
Place
This area can be reached from the Pratoni del Vivaro. Cross
via tuscolana (S.S. 215) and at the 30,700 km turn to the right
at the crossroads with Pratoni del Vivaro. After 100 metres,
there is on the right the path leading to the cerquone wood.
Roads and Public Transports
By car: From Rome cross via Anagnina (S.S. 511, slip-road
22 G.R.A.), following the directions for Grottaferrata. Cross
via Tuscolana (S.S. 215) towards Rocca Priora. It is possible
to park along via dei Pratoni.
By Bus: Rome-Artena. (Cotral bus service phone number
800431784, phone number 067222153) from the underground station
‘Anagnina’ of the Linea A. It will take you about
45 minutes to reach the bus stop at the crossoroads with Pratoni
del Vivaro.
Topic
Botany and Fauna.
Visits
For information phone to the Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani
Rocca di Papa presso la Villa Barattolo, via C. Battisti n.5,
tel. 069495253/5 e Fax: 069495254, or to the XI Townstà
Montana del Lazio - Castelli Romani e Prenestini”, Via
della Pineta n.69, 00040 Rocca Priora (RM), phone number 069470820.
Tourist signs
absent
Further Information
Web sites: www.xiTownstamontana.lazio.it, www.parks.it/parco.castelli.romani/index.html.
Books: Bassani P., Cantiani G.P., 1997. L’ambiente
naturale del Vulcano Laziale. Ed. XI Townstà Montana
del Lazio “Castelli Romani e Prenestini”, Rocca
Priora (RM); AA.VV., 1996; AA.VV., 1996. Quattordici sentieri
tra natura e archeologia dei Castelli Romani e Prenestini.
Editore XI Townstà Montana del Lazio Castelli Romani
e Prenestini, via della Pineta 69, Rocca Priora (RM); Del Nero
R., 1990. La Valle Latina. Storia di un ambiente. Ed.
Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani, Rocca di Papa.
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