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Town: MARINO
It is difficult to resist the beauty of this place particularly during the
Spring when the undergrowth is characterized by various colours,
such as the blue of the periwinkle's flowers, and the
double coloured anemone. Walking through the paths of one of
the last, very well – preserved Colli Albani's woods
it is possible to see different kinds of secular trees. There
is even the quercus peduncolata, one of the less common oaks
in the volcano's zone. The woods consisting of different
types of trees characterized this place till the 17th century
when chestnuts began to be planted, reducing the presence of
other types of trees. In the past the chestnut three was an
essential source of life for people living on the hill, as its
fruits, were very important from the alimentary point of view
and therefore it was called the “bread tree”. The
Ferentano wood belongs to a natural reserve within the Parco
Regionale dei Castelli Romani, covering an area of 22 hectares.
Area's Natural Characteristics
The Ferentano woods consist of very ancient and great hornbeams,
lindens, maples, elm and oaks, among which there are lindens
reaching an height of 26 metres, and a girth of 4 metres, and
maples with their red leaves during autumn. There is also a
Rhamus alaternus, with an height of 4,5 metres and a girth of
45 cm. It is a very ancient plant. The rhamus alaternus or “legno
puzzo” is an evergreen bush, whose Italian nickname is
due to the unpleasant smell of its wood when is cut.
Among the undergrowth plants there is the Job's tears,
which was typical of the ancient woods, protected by the Regional
Law 19 settembre 1974 no. 61. Among the herbaceous plants there
are: the evergreen periwinkle and its blue flowers, and the
Anemone. The Ferentano wood hosts a lot of birds: the woodpecker,
the picus virdis, whose presence is marked by its chirp similar
to a laugh, the dendrocopus major, whose presence is marked
by the oval nesting cavities along trunks and the tree-creeper,
a passerine that climbs along trunks seeking for food following
an oval movement. There are two other kinds of birds of small
size (10 cm) that perhaps only expert bird-watchers are able
to see: the Regulus ignicapillis, that builds its nest right
in this area, and the golden-crested kinglet (during the winter
season). Among the mammals, there is a very pleasant animal:
the hedgehog covered with stiff spines.
Place
The entrance to the Ferentano's wood is on via dei laghi
(S.S. 217, km 6.100), before the town of Marino.
Roads and Public Transports
By car: From Rome cross the S.S. 7 Via Appia (slip-road
23 of G.R.A.), cross the via dei laghi (S.S. 217) towards Marino,
when you reach the 16,100 km, 500 metres after the crossroads
with via Spinabella, there is on the left the wood's entrance.
You can park in front of the entrance's gate.
By train: There is a train starting each hour from Rome.
It will take you 30 minutes to reach Marino. For information
on train timetable call the phone number 848888088 or visit
the web page www.fs-on-line.it.
The railway station is at 700-metres-distance from the entrance
to the wood.
By Bus: Rome-Marino-via dei laghi (Cotral bus service
phone number 800431784, phone number067222153) from the underground
station ‘Anagnina' of the Linea A. It will take
you about 30 minutes to reach the bus stop “Bosco Ferentano”.
Topic:
Botany, fauna
Visits:
The wood is free and always open. There is an area with tables
and seesaws and swings, and explanatory boards. For information
phone to the Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani, at villa Barattolo,
Via C. Battisti n.5, 00040 Rocca di Papa (Roma), phone number
069495253/5 - fax 069495254.
Tourist signs
absence of indications along the roads. There are several explanatory
boards within the wood.
Further Information
Web sites: www.parks.it/parco.castelli.romani/index.html,
www.xiTownstamontana.lazio.it, : www.castellionline.com, www.hurricane.it/castelliromani.
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); Bassani P., Lotti L., 1992. Alberi e arbusti
del Parco regionale dei Castelli Romani. Casa editrice del
Parco dei Castelli Romani, Rocca di Papa (RM); AA.VV., 1996.
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