With the official launch of the National Network of Ancient Forests, Italy becomes the first European country to systematically protect the oldest and most intact forests in its forest heritage.

On the occasion of the International Day of Forests, March 21, the Directorate General for Mountain Economy and Forests of the MASAF, in collaboration with regional Forest Corps and Services, announced the operational start of the National Network of Ancient Forests, established by a decree on April 5, 2023. This marks a historic step for the protection of Italy’s ancient forests, which are true treasures of biodiversity and ecological memory.

Ancient forests are defined as forest areas of at least 10 hectares, where the absence of human disturbance for over 60 years has allowed the full development of all evolutionary stages of the forest, from regeneration to senescence, with large trees and soils rich in organic matter. To date, around 60 forests are already ready to be included in the network, with the goal of surpassing 100 ancient forests within a year.

A special section of the network is dedicated to the 13 UNESCO Beech Forests, already recognized as World Heritage sites.

The first ancient forest officially included in the network is the Rosello Fir Forest (Chieti), located in the Val di Sangro: 211 hectares of mixed forest dominated by the silver fir, with monumental specimens of beech, yew, oak, lime, and many other native species, including the second tallest silver fir in Italy (59 meters).

For more information: www.masaf.it, Forests section > Ancient Forests.