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The Natural Park of Monte Fenera, established in 1987, covers an area of 8.347 acres in the province of Novara, with altitudes ranging from 984 ft 2.946 ft on Mount Fenera, embracing the hilly areas of lower Valsesia.

On its territory, several ancient remains were found, including Neanderthal, the Palaeolithic and Roman findings. The presence of cave bears has also been reported.
Karst phenomena have, in fact, produced several cavities, which have favoured the preservation ot such findings throughout the millennia.

Flora and fauna

About 30 botanical species endemic to Mount Fenera have been identified in the park, such as the Daphne alpina, an ancient glacial specimen and 16 types of ferns, including Southern maidenhair (Adiantum capillus-veneris), Osmunda regalis and Hart’s tongue (Phyllitis scolopendrium), as well as interesting endemic cave-dwelling and freatic species.
Furthermore, extensive carpets of butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) cover the southern and western undergrowth of Mount Fenera.

The park is also the only place in Italy where black storks nest, an event which occurred for the first time in 1994; since 1996, the park has been a centre for the collection of data relating to this peculiar forest bird.

FOR SPELEOLOGISTS

Among the caves on the west wall, two are particularly interesting from a speleological point of view:

– “Buco della Bondaccia” cave , at an altitude of 2.263 ft above sea level: it extends for about 437 yards, with a maximum internal height range of 279 ft; due to its medium difficulty, it is considered a speleologists’ “gym”;

– “delle Arenarie” cave , at an altitude of 2.526 ft above sea level: it extends for about 3.280 yards, with a maximum depth of about 492 ft. It opens into the arenaceous area of the mountain, sinking, less than 33 ft from its natural entrance, into tunnels, bottlenecks, and wells, in a tangle of passages with splendid concretions.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)