Riserva naturale Collemeluccio, State nature reserve in province of Isernia, Italy.
Riserva naturale Collemeluccio is a protected reserve on the northern and western slopes of Mount La Penna. The area covers roughly 347 hectares with different habitats that support regional plant and animal life.
The forest belonged to the D'Alessandro dukes of Pescolanciano after Desiderata Melucci brought it as dowry, having bought it from the Università di Pietrabbondante in 1628; the name may derive from her. The Banco di Napoli sold it to local families in 1895, and inheritances split it until the state forestry agency reassembled 363 hectares between 1968 and 1977. In 1971, 187 hectares became a nature reserve, and in 1977 the whole 363 hectares joined Montedimezzo as a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
The name Collemeluccio is linked to Desiderata Melucci, the noblewoman who brought the wood as a dowry to Duke D'Alessandro of Pescolanciano; she is said to have bought it in 1628 from the Università di Pietrabbondante. The forest is still called by her name, and the white fir stands that dominate it are a living trace of the old fir woods that once covered the Apennine ridge.
You can reach the reserve via Strada Provinciale Carovillense in Vastogirardi and explore marked trails at different difficulty levels. Each path is clearly indicated so you can choose according to your experience and energy.
The reserve is part of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere program and functions as a research site for ecological studies. Scientists use it regularly to monitor biodiversity and develop new insights about nature conservation.
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