The Abetina di laurenzana

Walking through the forest of giants

In the heart of the Lucanian Apennines, the Abetina di Laurenzana opens up like a silent treasure, a forest of over three hundred hectares that preserves a rare mosaic of trees: turkey oak, beech and silver fir, a trio unique in Italy. Its boundaries extend from 1,000 metres to almost 1,400 metres at Monte Tre Confini, touching the territories of Calvello and Viggiano, where an ancient sheep track led pilgrims to the sanctuary of the Madonna di Viggiano.

This forest, now an integral part of the Lucanian Apennines National Park, is one of the best-preserved forests in the region, with ancient and senescent trees that tell centuries of natural and human history, some of which are included in the list of monumental trees of Italy.

Walking along the paths, one can perceive the majesty of the turkey oaks, some hidden among the dense branches, others imposing and isolated, whose hollow trunks are home to martens, dormice and a myriad of insects, precious refuges that bear witness to the long ecological continuity of the forest. The Turkey oak dominates the scene, while the beech is only found in specific areas, adapting to clayey soils; the rare and precious silver fir renews itself at the edges of the beech forest and in the bright undergrowth of the Turkey oak forest, sometimes forming small, pure clusters of great charm. Some specimens, up to thirty metres tall and with circumferences of four metres, are living relics of ancient presences.

Not only monumental trees, but also an extraordinary variety of plants and shrubs accompany the visitor: field maple and white hornbeam, holly, cornelian cherry, apple and wild pear trees. Along the streams, strips of riparian vegetation provide shelter for willows and the rare southern oak, while the undergrowth comes alive in spring with delicate blooms: male peonies, St John's lilies, Lucanian gigaro and wild garlic. Here, wild orchids, such as the elegant Epipactis purpurata (purple helleborine) and the mysterious Epipogium aphyllum, emerge from among the leaves and ferns, creating ephemeral displays that change from year to year, true gems for enthusiasts and scholars alike. Also worth mentioning are lichens, in particular Lobaria pulmonaria, along with other epiphytic species that thrive only in intact natural forests, authentic witnesses to ancient woods and centuries-old ecological continuity.

The forest is not only a sanctuary for flora, but also for fauna: the call of the coal tit accompanies visitors' footsteps through the fir woods, while the blue tit and tree creepers explore the rotting trunks. Rare woodpeckers nest in the large turkey oaks, such as the precious middle spotted woodpecker, which delights with its spring call, and the lesser spotted woodpecker. Among the birds of prey, the red kite and the buzzard watch over the skies, while the goshawk and the sparrowhawk inhabit the most intact woods. Among the mammals, the wolf, the wildcat and the marten find refuge in the natural cavities of centuries-old trees, while dormice such as the hazel dormouse add a touch of liveliness to the undergrowth. Among the amphibians, the spectacled salamander, the Italian newt and the Apennine frog stand out, and among the species of beetles that inhabit the cavities of dead trees in the foreground is the Alpine longhorn beetle.

The silver fir, the silent protagonist of the forest, bears witness to the history of a landscape that was once more extensive and wild. Capable of reaching a height of sixty metres and living for centuries, today it is mainly found in cool, humid oak forests, but its reduced numbers are a reminder of how human activity and climate change have limited its presence.

Walking through the Abetina di Laurenzana means entering a world suspended between past and present, between natural and cultural history, where every tree, every flower and every bird song tells the long life story of a unique forest, guardian of beauty, biodiversity and memory.