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Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve in Acquapendente: 2,893 hectares of wild nature
The Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve spans 2,893 hectares in the territory of Acquapendente, on the border with Umbria and Tuscany. Established in 1983, it is one of Lazio's richest protected areas: it hosts 30% of Italian wildlife species and 54% of species found in the Lazio region. The altitude ranges from 774m at Greppe della Maddalena down to 235m on the river Paglia.
34 farmsteads among woods and streams
A total of 34 rural farmsteads are scattered across the hillsides, where farmers lived until about 50 years ago. Today they stand in silence. The gentle slopes of the hills, made of sedimentary rock, are subject to landslide phenomena, with a dense network of watercourses shaping the terrain.
Who lives (and hides) there
The reserve is home to the wolf and the freshwater turtle — elusive, hard to spot animals, but whose presence is a precise indicator of the environment's health. The flora includes very rare species, linked mainly to open areas and wetland habitats.
