Aspromonte National Park is located in the southern part of the Apennines, in Calabria, Italy.
The park is near the sea and includes mountain peaks with heights near 2000 meters (Montalto is 1,955 meters).
The park’s land, crossed by many rivers and streams, is home to important species such as the Italian wolf, peregrine falcon, Eurasian eagle-owl, and northern goshawk. Most of the area is covered mostly by forests of beech, silver fir, black pine, holm oak, sweet chestnut, and Mediterranean maquis shrubland. A few rare species live here: Bonelli’s eagle and a tropical fern, Woodwardia radicans.
Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the park also has historical, artistic, and archaeological significance.
The park received recognition as a UNESCO Global Geopark on April 21, 2021.
History
The park was heavily damaged by wildfires in 2021, and it is suspected that the Italian Mafia was involved.