Natural Monument of the Cecchignola Ditch

The latest addition to the Natural Reserves managed by the RomaNatura Agency, the Natural Monument of the Cecchignola Ditch is a wonderful green lung rich in biodiversity immersed in the Agro Romano. The reserve contains elements of historical and naturalistic interest that make it a lush oasis covering approximately 99.10 hectares: the tall forest in fact offers shelter to an incredible variety of flora and fauna, increased by the presence of ruins dating back to the Roman imperial era.

Above all, the historical heritage is important for the presence of some typical elements of the Roman countryside, like the Cecchignola Castle (or Casale), which already existed in the medieval era and was renovated in its current form in the 17th century, the partially ruined panoramic tower, dating back to the 3rd century AD, the sections of Roman paving, or the remains of rural settlements, also from the Roman period.

The area therefore features a very varied vegetation consisting of field elm, black poplar, and maple, large strips of reeds, abundant patches of blackthorn and bramble, large extensions of woodland, from that typical of humid areas with willows and poplars, to the mesophilous deciduous one, with downy oaks, elms, field maples, and black locust trees. Abundant shrubby vegetation, with Laurels, Elders, Hawthorns, Spindle Trees, Ivy, Dog Rose, Honeysuckle, Butcher's Broom. Without forgetting the herbaceous vegetation, with Fern, Cyclamen, Periwinkle, Petasite, Thistle, Mallow, Borage, as well as the presence of numerous species of Mushrooms and Mosses. In this context lives an equally varied fauna: in addition to the porcupine, the badger and the fox, there are the hedgehog and the grass snake, the bee-eater, the hoopoe, the nightingale and the little owl. Among the birds, the most visible nesting species are the kestrel, the hoopoe, the pheasant, the great spotted woodpecker, the little owl and the barn owl.

The landscape is also characterised by fields cultivated with wheat and enlivened in spring by wonderful blooms, as well as wild pastures, with the occasional presence of flocks.

Photo: Facebook official page