Websites of the Park

apuaneweb.it
parcapuane.it
Portal of the Park

parcapuane.toscana.it
Institutional website
of the Park

actapuana.it
Scientific magazine
of the Park

archeominerario.it
Extractive history,  mining
landscape, material culture

apuanebiopark.it
Nature, agriculture
and biodiversity

apuaneturismo.it
Tourism, events and
cultural activities

apuaneducazione.it
Environmental
education

antrocorchia.it
Cave of
wonders

info@apuanegeopark.it

There are very few places in Italy and Europe - as the Apuan Alps - which can boast such a natural heritage rich in landscapes, environments and naturalistic elements. This holds true not only for flora and fauna, which are rich in endemic species, but also for rocks, minerals, fossils, tectonic structures, superficial and hypogean morphologies, which provide unusual, varied and widespread elements of environmental value.
The Apuan Alps are especially a highly suggestive orographic complex, both for the imposing feature of the main range and the high relief energy, accompanied by a harsh morphology of carbonate crests, towers and walls, with deep valleys abounding with water. The rough and harsh physical landscape of the main ridge is very different from the gentle slopes of the nearby Northern Apennines.
The Apuan Alps are famous thanks to their beautiful marbles, deep abysses and large karst underground cavities. The geographical location of the Apuan Alps, their vertical development, exposure and the different nature of rocks have created diversified and contrasting environments rich in animal and vegetal populations. The whole territory is characterized by a high biodiversity as a result of a complex biological evolution occurred in the context of a large territorial biodiversity deriving from a complex geological history. Habitats and vegetal and animal species of Community interest enabled the identification of a large SPA and ten SCIs directly linked with the physical landscape and the geological substrate with crests, cliffs, carbonate or siliceous ridges and screes, limestone pavements and lithosols.
A Regional Park protects its territory, preserves the natural heritage and enhances every feature.

Activities:

Geosites census
card indexing system and  activities participation

Documents on line:

Apuan Alps Geopark
presented at the
1st Geoparks Workshop in Italy
Arenzano of Genova
3rd february 2009

Geological map
of the Apuan Alps
scans of the map
download sheet n. 1
(JPG file, 34 Mb ca.)
download sheet n. 2
(JPG file, 17 Mb ca.)

The importance of the geological heritage is particularly evident:

a) in the structural geological context with the peculiar tectonic window at the centre of the Apuan ellipsoid;

b) in the occurrence of the oldest geological formations of the whole Apenninic range;

c) in the great variety of mineralogical attitudes and mineral species, a significant number of which has been discovered in the Apuan region;

d) in the karst phenomena, especially hypogean, which render Mt. Corchia a karst system of global value;

e) in the traces of the great climate change which brought about glaciations and associated prehistoric settlements;

f) in the ecological importance of a large number of geosites which are rich in endemic species of plants and animals and are often natural habitats of Community interest and in some cases also of conservation priorities;

g) in the archaeological and historical-cultural remains and finds linked to mining and quarrying activities.
 

"Apuan: the water mountains" by Valter Torri             full movie (53')