Orrido di Foresto special nature reserve

The protected areas of the Chianocco and Foresto ravines, of Rocciamelone and of the xerothermic oases extend over a total area of ​​1421 hectares in the municipalities of Mompantero, Susa, Bussoleno and Chianocco and are part of the Natura 2000 network, between the 3537 meters of altitude of summit of Rocciamelone, down to the valley floor of the lower Susa Valley. They are entrusted to the management body of the protected areas of the Cottian Alps and refer to the Orsiera Rocciavré Natural Park.

The xerothermal oases of the Susa Valley, in the lower part, are characterized by limestone walls engraved by narrow gorges generated by water erosion. Once exploited by man for grazing and cultivation - especially the precious vine - they are now recolonized by groves and shrubs. At higher altitudes the landscape is characterized by some pine forests, largely abandoned strips of chestnut groves, formations of maple-lime-ash trees and small larch groves.

The microclimate is dry and mild thanks to the southern exposure, the strong winds from the west and the predominantly calcareous substrate. A typically Mediterranean area has thus been created in the heart of the Alpine chain, which increases biodiversity and justifies protection based on the European Birds and Habitats Directives. The xeric prairies are rich in spontaneous orchids, some very rare and localized.

Numerous species of invertebrates, rare or exclusive, enhance the regional and European faunal interest. Among land molluscs, Solatopupa similis and Helicigona lapicida are widespread; here the first Piedmontese report of the orthopter Oedaleus decorus occurred and it is common to encounter the large Saga pedo; among the Lepidoptera there is Polyommatus exuberans which had been considered extinct. Xeric environments are also ideal for numerous reptiles including Coronella girondica. The avifauna is represented by over 100 species, including the honey buzzard, the peregrine falcon, the short-toed falcon, the rock partridge, the nightjar, the calander and the greengrocer.

Within the European project Life Xero Grazing two paths have been established: Monte Molaras and Truc San Martino. These help to discover oases' peculiarities and depict natual and human history. Now trekking paths, once were used to work on fields, vineyards, woods, pastures and mountain pastures

The main reason for the protection of the Reserve is represented by the exceptional presence of the prickly juniper (Juniperus oxicedrus) which here has found ideal climatic conditions on the warm limestone banks facing south and frequently hit by hot fall winds. In the San Giuliano area, there are several dozen specimens, some even 4 or 5 meters high, with the typical regular cone shape. The plant bears red-brown berries and has a greater development than the more widespread common juniper (Juniperus communis).

In reality, all the vegetation is interesting, typical of a Mediterranean climate: just think that here you can find almond trees, privet, hawthorns and even olive trees, while in the past vines were cultivated there. The herbaceous vegetation is characterized by grasses typical of the steppes in Eastern Europe, which have found suitable conditions here thanks to their ability to resist summer droughts, such as Crupina vulgaris and a small wild sage, Salvia aethiopis. Among the most interesting, the Cleistogenes serotina, the Trisetaria cavanillesii and, above all, the splendid Stipa capillata and Stipa pennata which, in late summer, unfurl their beautiful silvery plumes in the wind.

Other species are worth mentioning for their rarity: the Leuzea conifer (Centaurea conifera), with purple flowers, and a rare ginestriform shrub, the Ephedra helvetica, which in the Alps is found only in the valleys of Susa and Cogne, near Trento and the Swiss Valais. Speaking of vegetation, we cannot overlook the wild orchids, the protagonists of splendid blooms. Among the many we can mention the Cephalanthera rubra, the Orchis purpurea, the Orchis coriophora, the Anacamptis pyramidalis, the Ophrys myodes, the Ophrys fuciflora, the Orchis tridentata, the Cephalantera ensifolia and the Limodorum abortivum.

As already in the nearby Riserva dell'Orrido di Chianocco, the bird species represent the strong point of the Orrido di Foresto, taking advantage of the steep rocky walls to nest in complete tranquility or circling among warm ascending currents on the meadows parched by the sun in search of prey. Choughs and common ravens, harriers and buzzards, peregrine falcons and eagles can be easily spotted, while the various buntings, serins, redstarts, shrikes and goldfinches fill the limestone ramparts with songs. The reptiles, micromammals and insects that constitute their prey are widespread, but still little known.

Mammals include roe deer, wild boars, badgers and foxes and it is even possible to spot chamois and some rare ibex at very low altitudes.

Along the Foresto ravine there are traces of temporary settlements of nomadic shepherds which archaeological excavations date back to the end of the Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC). Inevitably, such evocative and particular places have hosted places of worship over the centuries, as evidenced by the numerous rocks engraved with cupels and anthropomorphic figures.

In the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, at the mouth of the ravine there stood an important monument - of which marble inscriptions and decorative elements have been found - dedicated to the Matrone goddesses, evidence of a cult of ancient Celtic origin. The quarries at the base of the limestone bastion provided the marble for the Arch of Augustus in Susa, for the Turin Cathedral and for other buildings in Turin in the 17th and 18th centuries.

At the mouth of the ravine, on the right hydrographic side, there is an old group of houses leaning against the rocky wall which presumably housed a hospital where plague victims were isolated to contain the spread of epidemics. This important cultural heritage is inserted within the perimeter of the Reserve to be preserved and enhanced.