Global Geoparks in Italy

Global Geoparks in Italy Global Geoparks are listed in order of acceptance into the Global Geoparks Network Madonie…………………………………………………………………… 2 Beigua……………………………………………………………………… 4 Geological and Mining Park of Sardinia……………………. 7 Rocca di Cerere………………………………………………………… 10 Adamello Brenta………………………………………………………. 13 Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park………………….. 16 Tuscan Mining Park………………………………………………….. 19 Apuan Alps………………………………………………………………. 22 Sesia Val Grande………………………………………………………. 24 Pollino……………………………………………………………………… 27 Disclaimer The Secretariat of UNESCO does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information or documentation provided by the States Parties to the Secretariat of UNESCO. The publication of any such advice, opinion, statement or other information documentation on the website and/or on working documents also does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its boundaries. Global Geoparks in Italy as of September 2015 1 Madonie Global Geopark, Italy Geology: The Madonie Global Geopark is an area of enormous geological interest: in it there are outcrops of rocks covering a time span of over 200 million years and representing all aspects of Sicilian geology, except for active volcanism. Its position in the central portion of the Sicilian Apennine, its geological-structural arrangement and the morpho-dynamic processes acting in it make this mountain group a fundamental area for knowledge and reconstruction of the geological history of the Apennine-Maghrebine chain and hence of the central Mediterranean. Because of these characteristics, the Madonie have constituted and continue to constitute an exceptional study area, as well a teaching “gymnasium” for generations of university students in geological sciences and natural history. The area contains seven type formations accepted by the international scientific community and more than forty geosites. Recent tectonics also make the area an excellent training ground on geo-hazards. Geography: In the course of time there has been no guide to Sicily or Italy that has not devoted tens of pages to the Madonie, and not only because of the particular landscapes in these splendid mountains. With an overall surface area of about 400 km2, the Madonie Global Geopark takes in a large part of Palermo province. It is a sort of quadrilateral whose approximate vertices are the villages of Campofelice di Roccella to the northwest, Finale di Pollina to the northeast, Petralia Soprana to the southeast, Sclafani Bagni to the southwest, while its confines are the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north, the valley of the Pollina river to the east, the chalk-sulphur plateau to the south, and the valley of the northern Imera to the west. This rural area includes the territories of 15 towns and villages and a datum of major importance in scientific and landscape terms is that this location stretches from a few metres to about 2,000 metres above sea level. Education and Sustainable Development: The geological aspects of the Madonie Global Geopark territory, in addition to being appreciated by scholars, also stimulate the interest, curiosity and imagination of “laymen”, who are not insensitive to the beauty of the landscapes that follow one another from the slopes up to the peaks of mountains, always different and fascinating, or to the strange shapes of the fossils in the rocks, the sweet coolness given off by the gushing waters of the numerous springs scattered around in the massif, or the mysteriousness of the many caves that are also the gateways to subterranean and unknown mountains. All these elements are constantly used by three Environmental Education and Interpretation Centers, recognized by Madonie Global Geopark, where pedagogical activities are performed for schools and adults. Besides, Madonie Global Geopark has attracted interest from public institutions and productive sector, formalizing partnerships in order to stimulate, in a sustainable development perspective, the economic activity of the regional eco-tourism. Dates Year of EGN membership entry: 2001 Year of GGN membership entry: 2004 Subsequent Revalidation: 2017 Official Website www.parcodellemadonie.it Contact Pasquale Li Puma, email: [email protected] , phone: +39 3407985141 Angelo Pizzuto, email: [email protected] , phone: +39 0921684080 Global Geoparks in Italy as of September 2015 2 Map of Madonie Global Geopark Map of Italy showing location and size of Madonie Global Geopark Global Geoparks in Italy as of September 2015 3 Beigua Global Geopark, Italy Geology: The Beigua Global Geopark is characterized by a natural heritage linked to the various disciplines related to Earth Sciences. Its geological features are important in the context of the geological history of Italy to understand the evolution of the Alpine chain and its relationship with the Apennine chain. The area has an extraordinary geodiversity is of outstanding scientific value and resulted in forming a large variety of landscapes and rich geomorphology. Geologically, the area is mainly characterized by ophiolitic outcrops with an Alpine metamorphic imprinting that represents a fragment of the original Jurassic ocean basin (from 200 to 145 million years ago). Highlights of the Beigua Global Geopark also include fascinating well-preserved Oligocene palaeontological outcrops of a tropical fossil fauna and flora such as leaves, shells and corals; specific minerals mainly found in the ophiolitic area such as spectacular examples of garnets. From a geomorphological point of view Beigua Geopark reveals peculiar forms derived from a periglacial environment (blockstream and blockfields), it also shows evidence of sea level fluctuation such as the marine terraces located in the coastal strip and Varazze, and the impressive canyons in the Oligocene conglomerates of Val Gargassa, in the area of Rossiglione. Geography: Beigua Global Geopark is located in Liguria, in the north-western part of Italy, near the boundary of France. It includes the Beigua Regional Nature Park and a broad zone linked to the nature park, involving ten municipalities (Arenzano, Campo Ligure, Cogoleto, Genova, Masone, Rossiglione, Sassello, Stella, Tiglieto, Varazze) and two provincial districts (Genova and Savona), covering an area of 392 km2. The line of the Ligurian-Tyrrhenian watershed stretches along about 25 km from the Giovo of Sassello hill to the Turchino pass and represents a natural axe that divides the area into a southern and a northern side. The Beigua massif dominates the coast with summits widely over 100 meters of altitude and reaching 1287 meters above sea level with the Beigua mountain. The area is easily reachable by state roads from the main highways. A good range of main and side roads is available inside the area, the eastern and the southern side are provided also with the national railway. Education and Sustainable Development: After becoming GGN member in 2005, the Beigua territory has gathered increasing attention from local authorities, tourism operators, entrepreneurs, universities and research institutions, schools, volunteers and environmental associations. Based on a shared local strategy for the enhancement and development of the territory, Beigua Global Geopark activated several programmes in the field of education and encouraged new opportunities for sustainable tourism. Thematic interpretation facilities have been developed: three Visitor Centres, two Educational Centres and two Information Points. They provide practical tourist information about what activities can be done in the area, and host educational activities and exhibitions. In order to popularize natural and cultural heritage many thematic trails have been equipped with panels and other interpretative tools, which allow visitors to appreciate and understand the link between geology, biology and culture. The Beigua Global Geopark schedules events all year round and offers different kind of accommodation: farm holidays and mountain shelters mainly in the hinterland, B&B or hotels and residences in the seaside towns. Dates Year of GGN membership entry: 2005 Subsequent Revalidation: 2016 Official Website http://www.parks.it/parco.beigua/Eindex.php Global Geoparks in Italy as of September 2015 4 Contact Maurizio Burlando, email: [email protected], phone: +39 0108590300 Marco Firpo, email: [email protected], phone: +39 0103538272 Map of Beigua Global Geopark Global Geoparks in Italy as of September 2015 5 Map of Italy showing location and size of Beigua Global Geopark Global Geoparks in Italy as of September 2015 6 Geological Mining Park of Sardinia, Global Geopark, Italy Geology: The lithostratigraphic sequences are among the most complete ones of the European and Circum-Mediterranean area and document a geological history older than 500 million years. The stratigraphic successions of Sardinia preserved in an extraordinary way evidence of geological events, from when Sardinia joined to the bottom edge of the European plate and when it separated from it during the Oligocene-Miocene, as a result of the opening of the western Mediterranean (rifting phase and subsequent counter-clockwise rotation of the Sardinian-Corsican microplate). The geological history of Sardinia therefore is part of the geological history of western Europe and is totally different from that of the Italian peninsula. In the course

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