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  • FONTANE DANZANTI SOTTO LE STELLE.

dal 17 maggio, 2009
al 17 maggio, 2009



        E' GRADITA LA VOSTRA PARTECIPAZIONE AL NOSTRO EVENTO 

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Naturalistic Parks


THE CASTEL FUSANO PARK


The park extends along the roman coast for about 1.100 hectares and is considered the green lung of Rome.
Its name comes from its ancient owners, the Roman noble family Fusius, which owned the whole countryside.
The park had many owners throughout its history, until the zone was purchased by Rome’s municipal council in 1933 which did not allow to have constructions built there, while the park was inaugured on 21 April (Rome’s birthday).
This natural reserve is populated by a various flora and fauna: woodpeckers, cuckoos, robins, merlons, turtledoves, owls, herons, curlies, foxes, wild pigs surrounded by the maquis, where holm-oaks, pine-trees and several plants of undergrowth (juniper, hawthorn, myrtle, genista, heather, rosemary and lavender) stand out.

The park even organized a Formula 1 grand prix in 1954, the only race of this category run inside Castelfusano because the track was cancelled from the calendar due to his dangerousness.
The park also preserves evidence of its ancient history. In fact inside the park it is possible to go along the Via Severiana and visit the treasure near there. .


VIA SEVERIANA


The emperor Septimius Severus, after improving the town of Ostia, decided to link it with Terracina which was, at the time of the Roman Empire, the most important town of Latium after Rome and Ostia itself.

Built between 198 and 209 , the via Severiana, which had to make the Rome-southward trade easier, began from Isola Sacra, ran through the Castelfusano forest to reach Tor Paterno, Capocotta, Pratica di Mare and eventually Terracina.
Many eminent figures built their summer houses in the area.
Among these, the most important were the ones of Pliny the Younger, visible just in part, Emperor Augustus, who had one near Tor Paterno, and of Emperor Commodus who came here to flee from the plague that ravaged Rome in 189.
Unfortunately the wonderful via Severina survives just in part today, because it was dismissed in the past centuries to use its silica rocks somewhere else.
Some parts of it are still to be found inside the park, though.


THE VILLA OF PLINY THE YOUNGER


The ruins of this villa, built in the second century B.C., are in a town called Palombara, and are considered to have belonged to Pliny the Younger, refined orator and literate as well as consul of the emperor Trajan.
Near the villa was the Vicus Augustanus, a little centre with a forum, a curia and a temple that overlooked the sea.

Today we can just admire some ruins and some part of the mosaic flooring depicting sea-like scenes, such as those of the Neptune spain Ostia.


THE CHIGI CASTLE


Built in 1655 on the ruins of an ancient farmhouse by the famous architect Pietro Cortona, who was entrusted with the task by cardinal Giulio Sacchetti, owner of the area, the castle took its name from the family that bought it in 1755.
The castle has four angular small towers having at their base four corners adorned by belvedere little towers provided with slits.
The internal decorations were made carried out by Andrea Sacchi and Andrea Camassei.


THE ROMAN COAST ECOMUSEUM


The historic-anthropological museum for the Tiber delta was founded in 1988 following the initiative of Research on Territory cooperative which tried to give a suitable documentation on the environmental and ethnografi c history of roman coast.
The ecomuseum has many halls and paths the visitors can undertake.
The first tour begins from The garden area where the life-size model of the countryside cottage and the structures of the first hydraulic reclamation of Rome are displayed.
Inside the building of the water-scooping establishment it is possible to see the machine hall which preserves the most ancient pumps of hydraulic raising.
Choosing the second one it is possible to visit many theme halls which show the territorial changes between XIX and XX centuries.
Ruins, original tools of work and a plastic model which simulates the hydraulic working of the Ostia waterscooping establishment.
In the SPAZIO-TEMPO hall the physical changes of the territory in the last 20.000 years of hystory are displayed by real images and computer virtual reconstructions. In the VISIONI hall documentary films on the territory history and interviews with the protagonists of the reclamation are shown.


CAPOCOTTA'S BEACH AND THE DUNES


There is few important information on the origin name of Capocotta.
The earliest date back to XV century when it is certain it belonged to the Capranica Roman noble family, which decided to sell the farm to Borghese family due to its debts in 1785.
The highness Borghese at that time decided to address the zone to the Maquis and Woodland. In XX century the farm was sold to the Savoia royal family who prevented the cementation of the zone.
Here, as well as inside the Castel Fusano Park, an ancient village like Vicus Augustanus was found, along with some graves, some inscriptions and several marble sculptures, which allow to believe that Laurentium used to be here.
The Dunes occupy the southern coast strip of land which is between Castel Porziano beach and Tognazzi village, shortly before Torvajanica.
The area, 3 kilometres long, has a wonderful beach and a very particular ecosystem characterized by its famous dunes.
The inner part of the Dunes, near the sea, displays strips of sand with particular environmental conditions and several species of plants.
Seagulls, nightingales, hoopoes, blackcaps, wild rabbits, foxes, porcupines, tortoises and turtles are the kind of fauna living there.

On the other hand the flora is represented by the following plants: beach weed, Ravenna sugarcanes, black reeds, yellow iris, laurels, tamarisks (typical plants of salt habitats ) and sea lilies.
Anyone who wants to plunge into the reserve, can go along one of the five paths, made in wood to make the visitors’ path easier.


THE SANDBANKS OF TOR PATERNO


On the roman coast, not very far from the Castel Fusano park, it is possible to visit a submarine area which is just as good as several underwater itineraries present in our peninsula.
It’s an ideal place for people who like sport fishing and for skin divers who daily dive into these clear waters in search of emotions and feelings, feeling in contact with the natural treasures of this little part of the Tyrrhenian sea.
The sandbanks of Tor Paterno consists of rocks, which give the impression of being on a sheer island on the sea bed, with a height of 42 metres (maximum deep is 60 metres) and bounded at the surface by 4 buoys.
The enchanted charm of this area is even more characterized by animal and vegetables species which populate it: the Posidonia, a superior plant, has roots, trunk, leafs, fruits and makes up thick grassland having a major ecological importance for the high number of species hosted by it.
Seabed fish as well as the freedom waters fi shes are frequent here.
The first group is represented by morays and fisherman frogs; the second one by basses, grey mullets and sargos. In surface, in some seasons, it is possible to see dolphins as well as some sea bird species.


THE B.P.I.A.


Birds protection italian association (italian abbreviation is L.I.P.U.)
MEDITERRANEAN HABIT CENTER (MHC) of B.P.I.A., situated near the Rome tourist port, has soon become one of the places where birds can find a safe and stable shelter,where they can have a rest and get food during their migrations.
Many actions are taken to protect and free several several birds. In summer and spring the little birds without nest are looked after, and the same is done in winter for birds of prey wounded by poachers.

The animals are cured and helped to recover, and can fl y once again after being treated.
Moreover, MHC wants to create a suitable structure to put the visitor in touch with the Mediterranean coast habitats even by enhancing concepts linked to the knowledge of mechanisms which regulate the environment.
The MHC project provides for two areas: the first one regards the creation of sheer oasis dedicated to preservation; the second one will have an open-air naturalistic gaming-room and a visitors centre to promulgate didactic activities.
All this is being done to increasingly involve the people who visit the animals in their natural habitat every year in better understanding the problems which have been afflicting the environment for many years, and even those who have been working to keep it intact.

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