| Rossomanno-Grottascura-Bellia nature reserve | |
 | |
| Area type | Oriented nature reserve |
|---|---|
| State | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Territory | Ennese |
| Surface | 2011.45 ha |
| Foundation year | 2000 |
| Institutional website | |
There Rossomanno-Grottascura-Bellia nature reserve is a protected area located in Sicily.
To know
Geographical notes
Located between the municipalities of Enna, Piazza Armerina is Aidone. Its focal point is the summit of Mount Rossomanno. It covers an area of over 2000 hectares, in the multiform landscape of the Erei mountains. There are plateaus at about 800 m a.s.l., entirely covered with conifers.
Flora and fauna
Flora
The reserve preserves within it a considerable forest heritage, largely the result of an ancient reforestation, which has covered the territory with conifers and eucalyptus, but still remains traces of an ancient oak grove. Among the conifers, the domestic pine dominates, and is located above 800 m of altitude: this species adapts very well to sandy soils, and produces the so-called pine nuts. Also present is the Aleppo pine, together with chestnut, hazelnut, holm oak and laurel. Characteristic of Ennese are the elder (which is the basis of the guastella col elder), the wild pear, the asparagus and countless other plants. The undergrowth is also interesting, with patches of brambles, dog rose (wild rose), thyme, hawthorn and blackthorn: these and other species form splendid hedges, which flank the recently redesigned paths to facilitate hiking and trekking. and scouting, activities practiced in the reserve.
Fauna
The Reserve hosts several species of animals including numerous species of birds: the buzzard (Buteo buteo), the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), the hoopoe (Upupa epops), the jay (Garrulus glandarius), the cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) and the bee-eater (Merops apiaster), as well as nocturnal birds of prey such as the owl (Asio otus), the tawny owl (Strix aluco), the little owl (Athene noctua) and the barn owl (Tyto alba) .It is also possible to meet the fox (Vulpes vulpes) , the porcupine (Hystrix cristata), the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the green lizard (Lacerta viridis) and the Sicilian marsh turtle (Emys trinacris).
Background
The territory of the Reserve was inhabited for a long time, starting with the ancient center of Rossomanno, which was then destroyed in the 14th century.
The reserve was established in 2000.
How to get
By car
From 
Catania-Palermo exit at Enna and continue for the 
for Pergusa and, having passed the lake, follow the 
to Piazza Armerina. Here follow the appropriate signs.
From the South (Caltagirone is Gela) follow the towards Piazza Armerina and then take the 
for Aidone-Morgantina. Here follow the appropriate signs.
Permits / Rates
How to get around
Rossomanno-Grottascura-Bellia nature reserve: full screen map.What see
- 1 Monte Rossomanno. From its summit it is possible to see the sea that bathes the coasts of the Plain of Catania. There are numerous testimonies of the pre-archaic period with findings of small niche tombs carved into the rock around the seventh century BC. The burials are in enchitrismos. In front of Valguarnera, there are the foundations of thick walls (up to 2 meters wide) that surrounded the entire residential area as a defense. From these walls stood numerous protruding turrets, now lost. In the Swabian period, or in the fourteenth century, the area was transformed into a fief of Rossomanno during an armed expedition, led by the Aragonese king Martin I of Sicily, the fief was razed to the ground.
- 2 Enchanted stones (Puppets dancers). They are a group of stones with a vaguely anthropomorphic shape within the reserve. The stones were actually formed by the aeolian action of the wind that made them so. This feature also draws a certain curiosity in park visitors.
- Sicilian settlement, Serra delle Casazze. With the remains of the acropolis and fortifications.
- Necropolis of Rocca Crovacchio.
- Byzantine basilica.
- medieval village (between Serra delle Casazze and Monte Rossomanno). Of Swabian origin but razed to the ground in 1394.
- 3 Ronza Park.
What to do
Shopping
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Rossomanno-Grottascura-Bellia nature reserve
Commons contains images or other files on Rossomanno-Grottascura-Bellia nature reserve
