I Giganti Della Sila

About

A site like no other, this majestic, ancient woodland in the centre of the Calabria region has been thriving intact since the 17th century in the shade of its imposing “patriarchs”, giving rise to an impressive spectacle of nature. Entrusted to FAI on a loan-for-used basis by the Sila National Park in 2016. On the plateau of the Sila region, there is a monumental woodland that plays host to 350-year-old trees that are 45 metres in height, with trunks 2 metres wide. This ancient woodland features more than 60 Calabrian pines and sycamores planted in the 17th century by the baronial Mollo family. The woodland was exploited over the centuries by shepherds to extract a flammable, tar-like resin from the trunks; Today, human intervention here has the sole purpose of allowing nature to take its course and making it possible to observe the natural evolution of the woodland, offering a wilderness to animals that now live in very few other places in Italy

At a glance

• Typical visit: about 1 hour 30 minutes