Italy's Sibillini National Park. Gillian Price
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Wild peonies
Trumpet gentians on high slopes
The curious Eryngo bloom
Orange lily
Type of alpine cabbage on scree
The divine bee orchid
Colouring bare fields with pretty splashes of violet-blue along its stem and prickly flower heads, a variety of Eryngo, a curious slender thistle is commonly seen all the way through to the autumn months. It is known romantically in Italian as Cardo di Venere, ‘Venus thistle’. Sun-beaten hillsides at lower altitudes are often colonised by typical Mediterranean vegetation comprising light woods with holm oak and bushes of sweet broom. Masses of aromatic herbs line pathways, their distinctive scent wafting through the air. Mint, oregano and smell-alikes thyme and piquant savory are the most common, along with the distinctive curry plant Helichrysum with woolly yellow blooms.
However in terms of flowers, the most famous spot in the Sibillini and indeed in the whole of Italy, is the Piano Grande di Castelluccio. This huge unique upland basin is an explosion of colour in late spring. Fields where lentil crops have been planted are painted with immense watercolour strokes as wildflowers such as poppies, cornflowers, vetch, mustard and myriad others come out. It is celebrated as the Fiorita and usually happens in early June. (See also Walk 19.)
The interesting Giardino Botanico Appeninico is only a short stroll above Visso (on the GAS trail). Helpful handbooks are Christopher Grey-Wilson and Marjorie Blamey’s Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe (HarperCollins, 1995) as well as Thomas Schauer and Claus Caspari’s A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain and Europe (Collins, 1982).
Wildlife
A remarkable variety of wild animals call the Monti Sibillini their home, though most remain elusive to the casual visitor. At best, walkers can expect an interesting range of birds.
The vast expanses of hillsides covered with low grass are the perfect habitat for ground-nesting rock partridge, which take off in small flocks with a cluttering of wings and heart-stopping guttural clucks if surprised. They fly somewhat clumsily for short distances, keeping quite close to the ground. Far above, kestrel and buzzards circle, and four pairs of nesting eagles have been reported. The Piano Grande is excellent for birdwatching.
Apennine chamois with its distinctive long horns
The Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata), a fleet-footed, nimble mountain goat, is being reintroduced in stages to the Monti Sibillini. A small group inhabits a special enclosure at Bolognola, in semi-captivity but slated for release, while successful re-introductions have been made on Monte Bove. The total population in the Italian Apennines is at 800, so this initiative is being carefully – and optimistically – monitored. They differ from their northern alpine cousin in having much longer horns, but with the same crochet hook. See Walk 4 for details.
Marsican bears, smaller than grizzlies and native to the central Apennines, have been making forays from neighbouring Abruzzo into the heart of the Monti Sibillini of late. The local population of Ursus arctos marsicanus became extinct in the 1800s, but monitoring for droppings and pawprints begun in 2006 has confirmed a fleeting presence. Camera traps are also used, with encouraging results. There is evidence of at least one bear hibernating here. In all, a mere 40 bears survive in Italy’s Apennine parks, under serious threat from man – poison bait is not unknown.
There is also exciting news about wolves in the area. Censuses carried out using the technique of wolf-howling confirm that 20 wolves currently roam the park. Similar to a German shepherd dog, with a reddish-brown coat and grey overtones, Canis lupus talicus is a tad smaller than his North American counterpart; a full-grown male can weigh up to 35kg and a female 25kg. The wolves’ favourite prey are deer, though they do not disdain hares, birds and rodents.
Orsini’s viper, a rare sighting
Roe deer are fairly common in the woods, and a recent project saw the re-introduction of 49 magnificent red deer from Tarvisio in the northern Italian Alps. Concentrated in the thickly forested central valleys of the park near Castelsantangelo sul Nera, several of them wear radio collars to enable zoologists to track them. The Park Visitor Centre there also manages an enclosure for animals in need of temporary assistance.
Shy wild boars feast on nuts and fruit in the beech woods, which also provide good cover. Evidence of their presence comes in the form of excrements, hoofprints and mud baths. Prolific breeders, they have been introduced all the way down the Italian peninsula by hunting enthusiasts though they are protected within the park confines. The newcomers have replaced the native type, smaller in size and less fertile.
A couple of snakes live in the Sibillini, the common viper or adder being the only potentially dangerous one. Light brown-grey with broad stripes or a zigzag pattern on its body, they sometimes hang around abandoned buildings in the hope of rodents for dinner. Sluggish in the morning until solar recharging takes effect (they often sunbathe on paths), they need time to slither away and only attack walkers when they feel threatened. Though painful, their bite is rarely fatal. However it should not be under-rated; speedy medical assistance is imperative. While awaiting help, the victim should be kept calm and still, and the affected limb bandaged to restrict circulation.
On the other hand a rare treat is Orsini’s viper, found solely in the central Apennines. Smaller, with attractive diamond markings, this harmless snake feeds on grasshoppers.
Two tiny crustaceans breed in the rare Sibillini lakes – and nowhere else in the world. The most famous is Chirocephalus marchesonii, a unique freshwater fairy shrimp discovered in 1954 and probably destined to disappear along with its home, Lago di Pilato which is rapidly shrinking (it once dried up completely, in 1990). The creature’s eggs are laid on the water’s edge and can evidently survive a year at a time while the shrimp itself needs to be immersed in water – see Walk 15 for more.
Lastly, be warned that sheep dogs occasionally pose problems. Do remember that they’re just doing their job and see walkers as intruders in their territory. Keep your distance as they have been known to attack outsiders. Under no circumstances bring a dog of your own – even on a leash – as they can disturb the wild animals that rely on these mountains for their home and survival.
Raised river at Visso (GAS, Stage 1)
THE GAS: GRANDE ANELLO DEI SIBILLINI
This rewarding 8-day trek, designed as a 120km ring route around the perimeter of the marvellous Sibillini park, gives an excellent idea of the dramatic mountain range. Long days are spent on wild hillsides overlooking vast plains and thickly forested valleys, the stages differing excitingly one from another. The Grande Anello, the ‘great ring’, referred to in Italian as l’Anello, can be interrupted virtually on a daily basis so that walkers can embark on variants to places of great