| Parco Nazionale del Pollino | |
|---|---|
  Pollino Location of park | |
| Location | Basilicata andCalabria, Italy |
| Nearest city | Morano Calabro |
| Coordinates | 39°55′36″N16°06′41″E / 39.92667°N 16.11139°E /39.92667; 16.11139 |
| Area | 1,925.65 km2 (743.50 sq mi) |
| Established | 1993 |
| Governing body | Ministero dell'Ambiente |
Pollino National Park (Italian:Parco Nazionale del Pollino) is an Italiannational park in the southernpeninsula, in the provinces ofCosenza,Matera andPotenza. Its named from the homonymous mountain massifPollino. The park is home of the oldest European tree, aHeldreich's pine estimated 1,230 years old[1] and the symbol of the park is the rareBosnian pine tree. Since November 2015, with the inclusion in the global list of geoparks byUNESCO, the Pollino Park is considered aWorld Heritage Site. Encompassing a total of 88,650ha in theLucanian side (Muro lucano) and 103,915 in theCalabrian one is thelargest park in the country covering 1,925.65 square kilometers[2][3] and among the 50 largest in the world. Thecommon beech is the park's most prevalent tree and the park is also home to a variety of importantmedicinal herbs.[4]
Towns with interesting sights includeRotonda,Castrovillari,Morano Calabro (convent of Colloreto),Laino Borgo,Laino Castello,Mormanno,Scalea,Papasidero,Civita,Cerchiara (church ofMadonna delle Armi). Albanian-speaking communities are present in communes such asSan Paolo Albanese,San Costantino Albanese and others. In the Valle del Mercure have been discovered remains of pre-historic species such asElephas antiquus andHippopotamus major.
Rivers and streams include theLao,Sinni,Coscile,Garga, and Raganello.
Wildlife includegolden eagle,Italian wolf,roe deer,wild boar,red fox,European otter,Calabrian black squirrel,forest dormouse(Dryomys nitedula),black woodpecker,chough,peregrine falcon,red kite,lanner falcon,Egyptian vulture andred deer (were introduced in the 2000s).
| International | |
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| Other | |
