4 Regional Park of Roccamonfina // Foce Garigliano 12 Roccamonfina

index 4 Regional Park of Roccamonfina // Foce Garigliano 12 Roccamonfina 28 Sessa Aurunca 44 Galluccio 56 Conca della Campania 66 Tora e Piccilli 76 Marzano Appio 86 Teano 100 Foce Garigliano 102 Tour of the Castles This guide, handy and user-friendly, translated both in English and German, inaugurates the editorial line of publications on the territory of the Park and is the first significant attempt to give this area the visibility it deserves. And it does this by telling the tourist about the treasures within its domain. The beauty, the richness, the timeless historical inspiration permeating the medieval towns and ancient pathways. An extraordinary journey accompanies the visitor in the shade of age-old chestnut trees, the discovery of evocative archaeological sites and of places with unrivalled art, mingling popular memory and folklore customs, blending ancient knowledge and culinary delights from the local gastronomic tradition. A territory which arrests the soul in its unrivalled spaces, colours and flavours, capable of offering the tourist a unique opportunity to rediscover the joy of nature and the pleasure of the good life. The task of the Parks Body, and my own personal task, is to act to protect and promote this small but great microcosm, allowing it to fully achieve its economic and social potential through a series of targeted initiatives, beginning with the present guide. Initiatives which can transform the naturalistic, historical and cultural heritage around the extinct Volcano of Roccamonfina into an important reservoir for the local Photo by Raffaella by Minucci Photo economy, in the conviction that this may be achieved by opening the territory up to a tourism that is both vigilant and conscientious. Attorney president Raffaele Aveta 1/ Roccamonfina Chestnut wood 1 2 // Amidst age-old chestnut woods and delightful medieval villages, one can lose oneself in an oasis of tranquility, discovering, little by little, unforgettable scenes suspended in the midst of time. Passing along paths and through small villages, there are remarkable testaments to history to be admired, which tell of a past forged from a mixture of faith and architectural genius. Savouring local products, one can taste the famous chestnuts and the many varieties of gourmet mushrooms, one can experience gastronomic traditions which are unique in their simplicity, one may stumble upon tables prepared for a feast, embellished by oils which bear the scent of the woods and which revive us after long walks, sipping wines with flavours which are fruity and distinctive to the palate. In the small villages one may take part in festival and feast day celebrations, which enliven the spirit of simple people, recalling ancient folklore and popular traditions. The Regional Park of Roccamonfina - Foce Garigliano is an area boasting a wonderful hospitality and history, and it offers its visitors a luxuriant and untainted natural setting, reflected in the faces of the people and in its places, which boast a wealth of art, 1 the wealth of simplicity regional park of roccamonfina - foce garigliano park of roccamonfina regional archaeology and tradition. 1/ Roccamonfina Chestnut husk 4 1/ The park, The Park lost in the mists of time a panoramic view 2/ Mofettes 3/ Dormouse The Regional Park of Roccamonfina - the mineral composition of the lava soils Foce Garigliano, situated in the heart of Roccamonfina, optimal for the of the Region of Campania, extends nutritional requirements of this species. over around 9,000 hectares between In the chestnut woods one may admire the territories of lower Lazio, the Molise the marvellous spring-time bloom of and the urban area of Caserta. crocuses, buttercups, primroses, orchids, It encompasses the communes of Sessa anemones and violets. Delightful are the Aurunca, Teano and five centres many varieties of orchids, which each of the Monte Santa Croce Mountain year attract many scientists and nature- Community: Roccamonfina, Galluccio, lovers to this area. Nature now thrives Conca della Campania, Marzano where, once, fire was king. It is Appio and Tora e Piccilli. astonishing to see how rich and dense The Park is protectively overlooked the undergrowth is during the autumn, by the volcanic system of Roccamonfina, when it is populated by many species the most ancient of Vesuvius and of mushroom including the ovolo buono unforgettable in its form and majesty. (the royal agaric mushroom) and the It consists of an external crateral circle fungo porcino (edible boletus mushroom), which averages 6 km in width, defined valued both for its commercial as well at the highest points by Monte Santa as gastronomical qualities. Croce (1005 m.) and by Monte Làttani Flowers, plants and animals are the true (810 m.) and by a number of volcanic guardians of these places. The rich cones with a semispherical cupola mountain avifauna contains specimens profile, such as Monte Atano (Casi- such as the cuckoo, the woodpecker, Teano), Colle Friello (Conca della the little owl and the long-eared owl, Campania), Monte Ofelio (Sessa Aurunca). while in the hilly section one encounters Unique and oddly-shaped rocks recall the the blackbird and the crow. The Regional past volcanic activity of the area, which Park is host to the rarest and most today is covered in chestnut trees, olive fascinating of species, such as the red groves and vineyards. The chestnut tree heron and the more common marsh owls, 1 adapted well to this area in part due to fisher falcons and white storks. Mofettes Mofettes are a secondary form of volcanic activity, consisting of emissions of carbon dioxide which well up from fissures in the ground. Thanks to their therapeutic qualities, they are often used to cure certain skin diseases. 2 3 6 i How to reach the Park A proof that this whole area is a fully- functional and healthy ecosystem is the By airplane: presence of an avifauna which includes Capodichino Airport, many nesting populations of buzzards Naples and kestrels, predators at the summit By train: of the food chain. From Naples Central The woods of the volcano of station Roccamonfina represent an ideal animal Trains bound for Rome sanctuary. Here one may stumble upon via Formia or via Cassino foxes, wild boars, badgers, beech From Roma Termini station martens, hares; while a multiplicity Trains bound for Naples via Formia or via Cassino of other mammal species live here in Train Stations of arrival isolation and in safety. Far from Vairano Scalo civilization - tranquility and nature Mignano M.L. itself ultimately have the last word. Tora/Presenzano Waling along the paths, the only sounds Sessa/Roccamonfina one hears under the twittering of Teano so many birds, the wind rustling the By car: branches of the trees and the splashing A1 Motorway of distant fresh waters flowing down recommended exits: from the sources. The entire region is S. Vittore - Caianello - Capua full of watercourses, which have shaped S.S. Casilina its topography. The river Garigliano, recommended exits: for example, travels across the Park, Teano - Vairano Scalo excavating its own bed in the volcanic Marzano Appio earth of Roccamonfina and the calcareous Conca della Campania Tora e Piccilli ground of the Aurunci Mountains. S.S. Appia It comes from the confluence of the River recommended exits: Liri with the Gari or the Rapido Rivers, Sessa Aurunca and its waters are deep and fast-flowing. 1 1/ The river Garigliano 2/ The Savone river 3/ Short-toed eagle, 2 3 bird of prey 8 Its meandering route is mellowed further where a handshake has not lost its deep by the presence of sturdy poplars meaning. Small communities which get and salico trees on its banks. Running together to enthusiastically celebrate along the banks, contained within the the many festivals or religious feast days perimeter of the Park, it easily reaches in the streets and squares - unmissable its river-mouth near the pine forest events in the annual calendar which, of Baia Domizia Nord. such as the evocative Settimana Santa After the River Garigliano, the two most (Holy Week) of Sessa Aurunca. On these important waterways of the territory occasions, the food-filled tables tell are the River Savone and the River Peccia. an authentic story of the simple and Amplifying even further the beauty of genuine lifestyle of the various these places, one discovers along the communities living in the territory. One river banks the ruins of ancient mills may savour foods and typical products and olive-crushing plants, which with authentic flavours, such as the exploited the energy from the fast and castagna “tempestiva” (timely chestnut), unstoppable flow of the water to drive the many species of mushroom and the heavy grinders made from lava stone. dishes from the local culinary tradition, Traces of industrial archaeology are such as the Dolce Castagnaccio visible, then, near the banks of the River (chestnut flour cake). All accompanied Savone, with the remains of the and sealed by prize wines and “ferriere”, ironwork factories which go outstanding extra-virgin olive oils. back to the Bourbon period, showing A Regional Park, therefore, which how water has since time immemorial safeguards as well as reveals the been an important part of life for the history and traditions of people who populations of the Regional Park. still live their lives in close contact with If one wishes, one may visit the a luxuriant and unblemished nature, numerous villages in the area, fully relishing its true essence. characteristic places filled with flavour and popular tradition, hamlets where life still moves quietly and slowly, Sessa Aurunca, Holy Week 10 Immersed in a landscape of ancient chestnut woods, Roccamonfina rises 612 m. above sea level, on the southern slope of the extinct crater from which it takes its name. The Town Hall stands on the main square, which is still the heartbeat of the small village, as well as the Villa Comunale and the Palazzo Colletta, while in the surrounding region there is a myriad of hamlets and small town centres, all worth a visit.

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