ID card

Park statistics

Argentera range | APAM Archive, E. Piacenza

Environment and landscape

  • 7 glaciers, the southernmost in the Alps
  • 80 lakes of glacial origin and 3 artificial reservoirs, ranging from a few square meters and several hectares. Crystalline rock massif of volcanic origin
  • 24 peaks over 3000 metres
  • 10 mountain refuges and 1 hiking hostel
  • 10 unmanaged bivouac huts
  • more than 400 kilometres of marked paths

     
Gelas (3 foto)


Flora and vegetation

  • 1800 higher plants present, which correspond to more than 30% of the Italian flora. 
10 locally endemic species (found only in the Maritime Alps)
  • 40 species of orchids of the estimated 90 found in Italy
  • 780 species of mushrooms
  • 140 species of lichens, which correspond to 12% of the species known for Piedmont
  • 1 botanical garden "Valderia" at Terme di Valdieri
  • 80% of the woods that cover the mountain slopes are beech
  • 5% of the forest area is occupied by conifers: silver fir and Norway spruce, larch, mountain pine, arolla pine and dwarf mountain pine

           
Flora of the Park (6 foto)


Fauna

  • 1 Wildlife Centre: “Uomini e Lupi” Wildlife Centre, Entracque
  • 4000 chamois (average figure 2015)
  • 800 ibex (average data 2019)
  • 6 species of ungulates present: chamois and ibex, roe deer, wild boar, red deer and mouflon
  • 3 packs of wolves that frequent the Park territory
  • 20 species of bats surveyed, three-quarters of the species found in Piedmont
  • 201 bird species observed, of which one hundred nesting
  • 63 European priority bird species, including 8 species of birds of prey breeding
  • 3 species of alpine grouse: ptarmigan, black grouse and rock partridges
  • 9 pairs of golden eagles
  • 41 bearded vultures released between 1993 and 2012 at the Alpi Marittime-Mercantour release sites
  • 5 species of fish that live in some lakes and waterways: brown trout, marbled trout, rainbow trout, bullheads and common minnows.
 9000 species of invertebrates, 30 of which newly discovered
  • 300 species of spiders, of which 2 previously unclassified

           
Park animals (6 foto)


History and culture

  • 3 prehistoric sites: caves at Aisone, the Bandito caves (Municipality of Roaschia), the Valdieri necropolis
  • 1 didactic archaeopark
  • 1 Ecomuseum: Rye Ecomuseum in Sant'Anna di Valdieri
  • 3 former hunting lodges of the House of Savoy
  • 100 constructions of military origin (bunkers, barracks, ...)
  • 1 hydroelectric power plant, one of the most powerful in Europe