Monte Velino

Monte Velino (2487 m) is an imposing pyramid-shaped mountain located in the Marsica. It is considered the mountain par excellence by the Marsicans, who are very attached to it. In ancient times it was called 'Lord of the Lake', because it surmounted the plain occupied by Lake Fucino, drained by the Prince of Torlonia in the 19th century. The oriented reserve extends for 3500 hectares and includes territories between 900 and 2500 meters. It has a flora and fauna of great naturalistic interest: in the higher areas you can find an alpine tundra flora with aculean silene and magellense violets: on the higher altitudes there are different varieties of juniper; there is no shortage of bearberry, alpine daphne, barbasso yew and various species of gentian. The fauna is similar to that of the other mountains of the central Apennines; large mammals have disappeared (although the Marsican bear is reported in passing), while the Apennine wolf and wild boar are present; the raven and the griffin were reintroduced in the nineties by the State Forestry Corps.