Premium Featured Accommodation

Parks - Pisa in Tuscany

One of the major green areas of the province of Pisa is the regional Park of Migliarino and San Rossore, which also includes the area of Lake Massaciuccoli in the province of Lucca. An interesting area in the Pisan portion of the park is the wood of Tombolo, which was added to the pre-existing estates of Migliarino and San Rossore. The uninterrupted stretch of pinewoods that runs along the coast is the result of intensive work carried out in the 18th century to the detriment of indigenous vegetable species. The genus Pinus is represented here by Pinus pinea (stone pine) and Pinus pinaster (cluster pine, or pinaster). But the peculiarities of the flora and fauna of this area are in the fossil finds and in the species that still populate the region. These can help to reconstruct the stages through which the flora and fauna of northern Tuscany have evolved from the Tertiary to the present day.

Different types of vegetation are found as one proceeds from the coast to the interior: from the plants that are typical of sandy soils to the woods of pines and deciduous trees. These are composed of oaks, ash-trees, alders, poplars and hornbeams, with an undergrowth of privet and sloes. Of particular interest is the wood of the Palazzetto at San Rossore, where one can meet centuries-old oaks along with species that are typical of the Atlantic climate. A rich undergrowth of holm-oaks (Quercus ilex) can be found where pinewoods are most luxuriant. The southern part of the park is dominated by the Mediterranean bush. The mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) can be found in the wood of Tombolo, whereas holm-oaks and deciduous trees are almost ubiquitous. The fauna can be divided into two very distinct groups: one is associated with humid, fluvial and lacustrine environments and the other with wooded areas. More interesting than the aquatic fauna, which is represented by species that are typical of still and slow-running waters (amphibians, reptiles, aquatic invertebrates), is the fauna of the interior, which includes the fallow deer, the wild boar, the squirrel, the dormouse, the fox and the porcupine. Of particular interest is the area of the Pisan Mountains, which extends east of the park between Calci and Capannori in the province of Lucca. The olive groves growing on the hillsides give way to woods of pines, chestnuts and deciduous trees at higher altitudes. Cluster pines and an undergrowth of holm-oaks are found here too. The commonest animal species are the wild boar, the porcupine, the blackbird and the thrush. Amongst the swamp areas, the Bientina Marsh is characterized by deciduous woods of resinous trees, oaks and other broadleaved species, and cluster pines. However, the peculiarities of the area are represented by numerous species of birds: waders, anatidae, coots, water-hens and warblers.

Articles