SHARRYLAND
Reed Valley Natural Monument
On the path through a natural monument
Where is
What it is and where it is
A few kilometers from the town, the municipality of Castel San Pietro Romano is home to the so-called Valle delle Cannuccete, a protected natural area, a Natural Monument since 1995, and essential for the conservation of the natural heritage of the Prenestini Mountains. The air here is fresh and laden with the scents of nature, but also with something intangible, unexplainable. It may be the proximity to Palestrina, ancient Preneste and its famous Temple of Fortune, site of one of the most frequented oracles in Roman times, or the fact that the protected area includes the magnificent Cannuccete forest.
Why it is special
The centuries-old forest is composed of ancient specimens that have escaped being cut down by virtue of a constraint aimed for centuries at protecting some springs, which, thanks to a partly underground aqueduct, fed Praeneste (hence the name of the local Prenestini Mountains). Their trunks provide shelter for many species of birds: the green and great spotted woodpecker, wryneck, nuthatch, titmice, and nocturnal raptors such as the tawny owl and the owl. Thanks to the now solitary nature of these places, the presence of the wild cat has recently been established, and the wolf has also made an appearance again.
A bit of history
Within the park are the springs of the Roman aqueduct of Cannuccete, which supplied the city of Praeneste from ancient times until the 1970s. Its construction probably dates to the 6th century B.C. in conjunction with the construction of the polygonal walls. The conduit, which reaches a length of 2560 meters, was excavated using the technique of Greco-Eastern origin of two opposing tunnels that head, in blind progression, to the point of their meeting.
Trivia
A local story has it that a colossal oak tree, perhaps seven centuries old, locally known as "Del Pierluigi," was a companion of the great Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, who is said to have gone right inside the Cannuccete forest to seek inspiration for his compositions and refreshment from the heat.
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