Tenuta di Acquafredda Nature Preserve

HISTORY   GEOLOGY AND MORPHOLOGY  AGRICULTURE   THE BANKS  THE CORK PLANTATION  FAUNA  

ACCESS

The Region of Latium established the Tenuta di Acquafredda Nature Preserve on October 6, 1997.  It is managed by RomaNatura, the regional bureau responsible for the management of protected natural areas in the city of Rome.

The Tower of the Acquafredda is a watchtower, constructed with basalt and the remains of a Roman villa.  The area has been inhabited since ancient times, first by the Etruscans, then the Romans.  Remnants of the Roman via Cornelia, which connects Rome to Cerveteri, can be seen around the corner of via Cornelia and via Nazareth (around number 264) .  Via Cornelia departed from Castel Sant’Angelo, crossed what is now Saint Peter’s Square, and continued through the area of the Borgata di Montespaccato and on to Cerveteri.    

 GEOLOGY AND MORPHOLOGY

Tufo, a volcanic rock deposited by a volcano that became inactive 40,000 years ago, constitutes the upper layer of the tenuta di Acquafredda.  The tufo is covered by a layer of sand and clay that up until a million years ago was a sand dune.  At several locations open ditches reveal the sand of the original dune.  Morphologically the area is characterized by large plains dissected by the valleys of the two channels and crisscrossed by numerous smaller valleys.

AGRICULTURE

There are two types of cultivated areas in the tenuta di Acquafredda.  The first is extensive cultivation of grains, soy or other cereals.  The second consists of vegetables, and various species of fruit trees (apricots, plums, figs, almonds and hazelnuts).

THE BANKS

The area around the channel banks contains cane thickets, willow groves and temporary ponds.

The Willow Grove.  The willows come in the form of shrubs and trees entangled with nettles and various species of lianes, such as old man’s beard and woody nightshade.  Near the Acquafredda channel there are poplars, including some very large ones, while in the cultivated areas there are younger ones.

THE PONDS

The Acquafredda channel is still fed by springs of clear water.  Closer to the valley, the waters of the springs and rains create little ponds where, aside from the willows, numerous cattails, reeds, and horsetails grow.  The ponds are the natural habitat of frogs, bullfrogs, and salamanders.  These animals form a complex food chain that includes water snakes and herons.

CORK OAKS

On the slopes of the south and west side there are groups of cork trees with different degrees of coverage.  The cork oaks have been degraded in some points by the fires that have destroyed the underbrush and favored the proliferation of asphodel.  In some places only a few have survived.  This has left room for new growth of elms and oak.  Dense bushes of broom occupy some of the slopes, as well as smilax, cisto femmina, dog rose.  In addition to these, one finds blackberry bushes, ferns, and euonymus.  Among the various types of flowers one finds orchids of the genus Serapis.  There are also maples, sorb, and numerous grassy plants (60 species have been found), among which many are medicinal.

Several types of lizard,  the grass snake, rat snake, cervone and frustone are among the reptiles found in the area.

Amphibians such as bullfrogs, frogs, and salamanders are also quite common.

There are numerous birds.  Several of them quite rare in Rome.  The sparrow, goldfinch, serin, greenfinch, chaffinch, blackcap, great titmouse, wren, titmouse, blackbird, starling, fiorrancino, swallow, swift, housemartin, pigliamosche, saltimpalo, nightingale, cannareccione, crow, kestrel.   Bee-eater, doodle-bug, water-hen.  Buzzards, gray herons, ballerina gialla, woodcock.  During recent restoration of a water spring, the river crab and gammarus pulex were sited, both indicators of good water quality

ACCESS  

The park entrance is located at via Acquafredda 88.

By car, the park can be reached from via Aurelia or via Boccea; by bus (number 906 from metro stop Valle Aurelia).

The Tenuta di Acquafredda nature preserve was established by the Region of Latium (n.29 of 6 October 1997) and is maintained by RomaNatura, regional bureau responsible for the management of protected areas in the Comune of Rome.  The Comune of Rome has also entrusted some activities of the nature preserve to the ONLUS Acquafredda cooperative.

The Preserve is constituted by 249 hectares of private property.  It extends from via Aurelia to Via Boccea, between the Montespaccato channel (at the base of the Montespaccato borgata) and the Acquafredda channel, to the border of the area of the Cannuta valley.  It is crossed by the via Acquafredda in the initial part, which towards via Boccea becomes via Nazareth.

The nature walk of the Preserve is located on private property and therefore it is accessible only in the company of personnel of ONLUS or RomaNatura.

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VERSIONE ITALIANA