Nature Trail in Campigna

Welcome to Campigna

In the Park visitor's imagination there are animals such as the wolf, the deer or the eagle which appear emblematic of the characteristics and value of this area. Actually, there is a tree, the Abies alba silver fir, which admirably sums up the high naturalness of these places and the presence of testimonies of millennial history.

The story starring the majestic tree starts from the Monks of Camaldoli, who first equipped themselves with a Forest Code in 1080, devoting a lot of attention to silver fir, determining the transformation of large portions of the mixed deciduous and coniferous forest into almost pure forest formations of Abies alba. The columnar and slender posture towards the sky, the evergreen being and therefore a symbol of the continuity of life even in the "dead" season, the exceptional dimensions, are all characteristics that have certainly contributed to creating a mystical and particular charm in the Camaldolese.

But what interested men, monks or foresters, was also the precious wood of this tree, whose trunks were particularly sought after for shipbuilding in the shipyards of Pisa and Livorno and used in the construction of the Florence Cathedral. The Nature Path winds inside the Fosso Abetio which, as the toponym says, is an ancient reforestation of silver fir. The observation points will help us to reveal some secrets of this plant symbol of nature and culture. 

• Download the description of the path.