Conero Park

Introduction

Description

A mountain overlooking the sea, offering enchanting views. An environment generous with warm atmospheres. Hiking routes that wink at sustainable tourism. An offer of quality typical products. So much history told in every corner of the territory. All this is the Conero Park, a work of art chiselled by nature, a gem set in the Marche region, on the shores of the Adriatic. Established in 1987 to safeguard its natural and cultural riches, the Conero Regional Park covers 6011 hectares and includes much of the territory of Ancona and the towns of Camerano, Sirolo and Numana.

THE TERRITORY - HISTORY AND CULTURE

This coastal protected area offers varied and fascinating environments, among which the Conero Mountain (572m) stands out. It originated as a result of a long marine sedimentation process that began in the Jurassic and emerged in the Pliocene, five million years ago. From the Gargano to the Trieste coastline, the Conero is the only rocky bulwark composed of limestone formations with lithotypes of the majolica and red and white flake, which is why it has been a place of stone quarrying since ancient times. It was a landing place from the 4th century BC for the Greeks, who sailed up the southern coast of Italy in search of cities to found. It was here that the Dorians dropped anchor and established their abode, calling the promontory Komaros (from 'corbezzolo', a plant widespread on the mountain) and Ancon (elbow), from which the name of the city of Ancona derives, its northern curve. The presence of man, ascertained at least 100,000 years ago, has left numerous testimonies relating, in particular, to the Picenian people (9th-3rd century B.C.). Among the tombs discovered that have returned rich grave goods, the famous one is that of the Queen of Numana and Sirolo, kept in the area of the Pines. The finds are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Ancona and in the Antiquarium of Numana. Other testimonies range from rock engravings to Roman caves, from Benedictine and Franciscan monasteries to defensive structures such as the Napoleonic Fortino and the Clementine Tower in Portonovo. Also not to be missed are the beautiful Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Portonovo and the Monastery of San Pietro al Conero, where various religious orders (Benedictines, Camaldolites and Gonzagites) have settled alternately since the year 1000.

The FLORA

The diversity of the environments, such as the steep limestone cliffs, the hills, the valley floors, the Musone River, the wetlands, the coastal dunes and the brackish lakes of Portonovo, guarantee a high level of biodiversity. The slopes of the mountain are covered, on the north-eastern side, with evergreen and deciduous sclerotia (downy oak, hop-hornbeam, Neapolitan maple and manna ash), while the sunnier and more southerly slopes are covered with Mediterranean scrub characterised by the presence of more humid species such as holm oak, strawberry tree, mastic tree and terebinth. There are also extensive pine forests resulting from the reforestation carried out with Aleppo pine, Austrian black pine, cypress and other species by the 'Milizia Forestale'.
 With regard to the cultivated areas, the Park, with the intention of experimenting with a renewed relationship between man and the environment, in agreement with the farmers, has over time promoted projects that go solely in the direction of quality, i.e. the promotion of organic cultivation, livestock breeding and the production of certified foodstuffs (cereals, vegetables, legumes and fruit) according to the QM (Qualità Marche) mark. The Park's most ambitious project, carried out with farms united in a cooperative, the 'Conero Agricoltura e Ambiente', gave rise in 2012 to a brand of liera products, which rightfully joins the already widely recognised Rosso Conero DOC wine, the product of the wineries located in the protected area and surrounding territories.

LA FAUNA

Fauna includes more than 200 species of birds, of which 76 nesting birds. In April and May each year, around 10,000 birds of prey are counted in transit. This is why Monte Conero is a coveted spot for birdwatching; the Gradina del Poggio, Pian Grande, Monte dei Corvi, Monte Colombo, Belvedere Nord and Piani dei Raggetti are strategic sighting points. 467 butterflies have been counted, which, in fine weather, fly in search of flower nectar, for mating and egg-laying. As for mammals, the presence, albeit occasional, of wolves is certain, as well as badgers, foxes, hedgehogs, beech martens and weasels. The Portonovo ponds are also home to an extremely rare small freshwater crustacean, the Dyaciclops bicuspidatus odessanu. The marine environment, now protected, with the proposed establishment of a Site of Community Interest (SCI), is home to an incredible number of crab species, including many extremely mimetic ones, such as the spider crab or the shy anemone crab, but also to plumes of spirographs, beautiful nudibranchs (small, colourful snails), murici (the so-called 'ragusa'), cuttlefish, shrimp, many blennies, scorpion fish, bream and sea bream. Worthy of special note is the Conero mussel, or the wild 'Mosciolo' of Portonovo, now a Slow Food presidium and on the tables of connoisseurs of fine cuisine.

Tourist offer

For those wishing to discover the heart of the Conero, in addition to a network of paths designed by man over the centuries, the Park has identified 18 itineraries of particular environmental and landscape interest that can be travelled by bicycle, on foot or on horseback. The Park has also initiated numerous other interventions in the field of sustainable tourism, and in 2013 obtained the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS), the certification that provides, among other things, incentives for the components of the territory to work in partnership, to increase the offer and quality of services in the area, with a view to full respect for the environment. On the other hand, tourism is the area's main economy, as the Conero Riviera is renowned not only on a national but also European level. Indeed, there is no shortage of surprises, generously provided by the park and the towns that make it up. In short, starting from Ancona, the capital of the Marche region, a walk along the familiar 'strada del Monte' (mountain road) gives an idea of what is jealously guarded in the Conero. This leads to the unmissable bay of Portonovo and its beaches, to the Vela, to Mezzavalle, which can only be reached from the sea or on foot, from a small road with spectacular views. Culture and environment meet in the bay: there is the Watchtower built by Clement XI, the Napoleonic Fort, erected in 1808 to block British ships and now a hotel, and the Romanesque church of Santa Maria and the brackish lakes behind the dunes. A handful of kilometres after Portonovo, one climbs to the top of the mountain, to the Abbey of San Pietro and the northern Belvedere. The presence of disused quarries makes the park an 'open book' on the geological history of the area and the entire stratigraphic succession typical of the Umbria-Marches Apennines. Of particular importance is the Massignano quarry, which became a world-class section for the Eocene/Oligocene transition and is now equipped for visits. Continuing southwards, here is Sirolo, the 'Pearl of the Conero', a balcony on the beaches of the Due Sorelle, Urbani, San Michele-Sassi Neri. Continuing along the promenade, before the long beach of fine gravel at Marcelli, the tourist centre where much of the Conero Riviera's accommodation is located, we come upon the mediaeval village of Numana. Camerano, of very ancient origins, whose subsoil is marked by an articulated hypogean path fits perfectly into this picture.

 

Information

Founding year: 1987
Area: 6011 hectares
Maximum elevation: Monte Conero (572m)
Municipalities concerned: Ancona, Camerano, Numana, Sirolo
 Institutional site: www.parcodelconero.eu
Contacts: info@parcodelconero.eu