Parco naturale regionale del Beigua

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Parco naturale regionale del Beigua

| alt_name = Beigua Geopark

| iucn_category = V

| photo =Panorama dal Bric Resunnou.png

| photo_alt =

| photo_caption =

| photo_width =

| map = Italy | relief= yes

| map_alt =

| map_caption =

| map_width =

| location = Liguria, Italy

| nearest_city = Savona and Genoa

| coordinates = {{coord|44.4328|N|8.5486|E|region:IT-IM|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| coords_ref =Coordinates from wikidata

| area = {{Convert|8715|ha|acre|abbr=on}}

| established = 1985, 1995

| visitation_year =

| governing_body = Ente Parco del Beigua (Arenzano)

| world_heritage_site =

| url = [http://www.parcobeigua.it/ www.parcobeigua.it]

}}

The Beigua Natural Regional Park (in Italian Parco naturale regionale del Beigua) is a natural park located in province of Savona and the Metropolitan City of Genoa, both in Liguria (Italy). It's the largest protected area of the region.{{Cite web |title = Beigua European & Global Geopark |url = http://www.parcobeigua.it/index.php |website = www.parcobeigua.it |accessdate = 2016-02-20 }} It gets the name from the highest mountain of the area, Monte Beigua.

History

The natural park was established by the l.r. (regional law, in Italian legge regionale) nr. 16 April the 9th 1985 as modified by the l.r. nr. 12 February the 22nd 1995.{{Cite web | title = Elenco ufficiale delle aree protette (EUAP) – 5º Aggiornamento – Supplemento ordinario n. 144 alla Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 205 del 4 settembre 2003 |publisher = Ministero dell'ambiente e della tutela del territorio e del mare |url = http://www.parks.it/ministero.ambiente/elenco_ap_2003.pdf| website =www.parks.it | access-date = 2016-02-16}}

During March 2005 the Beigua Geopark was recognised as a part of the European Geoparks Network.{{Cite web | title = Un patrimonio geologico riconosciuto a livello mondiale – Beigua Geopark | url = http://www.parks.it/parco.beigua/par.php | website = www.parks.it |accessdate = 2016-02-20 }}

Geography

File:Cima Fontanaccia da nord a sin genova.png.]]

Situated in the inland of the Italian Riviera between Savona and Genoa, the park covers a very interesting area of the Ligurian Apennines. its protected territory, over {{convert|87|km2|mi2}}, includes 26 km of the Apenninic watershed dividing Pianura Padana (tributary of the Adriatic Sea) from the Ligurian Sea drainage basin.

The park encompasses three SCIs and one SPA of the Natura 2000 network:{{Cite web | title= La Rete Natura 2000 | url = http://www.parcobeigua.it/pagina.php?id=27 | website = www.parcobeigua.it|accessdate = 2016-02-11 }}

Foresta della Deiva – Torrente Erro (SCI code: IT1321313) 788 hectares,
Pian della Badia (Tiglieto) (SCI code: IT1330620) 250 hectares,
Beigua – Monte Dente – Gargassa – Pavaglione (SCI code: IT1331402) almost 17.000 hectares,
Beigua-Turchino (SPA code: IT1331578) 9960 hectares.

The geopark is wider than the Natural Regional Park and reaches {{Convert|39230|ha|acre|abbr=on}} of protected territory.

= Main summits of the park =

Among the summits located in the park can be cited Monte Beigua (1287 m), Bric del Dente (1107 m), Cima Fontanaccia (1153 m), Monte Rama (1150 m), Monte Reixa (1183 m) and Monte Sciguello (1103 m).

= Concerned municipalities =

File:Masone-villa Bagnara.jpg).]]

The natural park is shared among the following municipalities:

Arenzano, Campo Ligure, Cogoleto, Genova, Masone, Rossiglione, Sassello, Stella, Tiglieto, Varazze

Geology

The park offers a wide range of geological features, most of them tied to a portion of Jurassic oceanic crust modified during the Alpine orogeny. Among the predominant rocks of the area can be cited gabbros, peridotites and serpentinites, here and there covered by pillow basalts and latter sedimentary and metamorphic layers. Several serpentinite quarries, active in the past, are now abandoned.{{Cite web | title= Patrimonio Geologico del Beigua Geopark| url = http://www.parcobeigua.it/pagina.php?id=20 | website = ww.parcobeigua.it | publisher = Ente Parco del Beigua |accessdate = 2016-02-19 }}

Wildlife

File:Carlina acaulis sul Reixa.jpg on monte Reixa.]]

Some rare plants of the park are Viola bertolonii, Cerastium utriense, Asplenium cuneifolium, Daphne cneorum, Cheilantes marantae.

Mountain mires and wetlands host locally endangered species of amphibians as alpine newt, northern crested newt and Malpolon monspessulanus. In the park are very common larger animals as wild boars, roe and fallow deers.{{Cite web | title= Un Parco per la tutela della biodiversità | url = http://www.parks.it/parco.beigua/par.php | website = www.parks.it | publisher = Federparchi |accessdate = 2016-02-20 }}

Hiking

Around 500 km of footpaths are available within the park, that is crossed from west to east by the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, a long-distance trail from Ventimiglia (province of Imperia) to Bolano (province of La Spezia).{{cite web |id= (link: [http://www.altaviadeimontiliguri.it/portale/it/melogno.wp melogno.wp]) |title= Camminare lungo l'Alta via dei monti liguri |author= |date= |website= trekkinginliguria.it | url = http://www.trekkinginliguria.it/www.trekkinginliguria.it/ALTA_VIA_MONTI_LIGURI.html |accessdate=2016-02-21}}

Bibliography

{{Cite book | title= Guida al parco del Beigua | author = Claudio Capelli and Stefano Ortale | publisher = SAGEP | year = 1997 }}
{{Cite book | title= Alla scoperta del Beigua geopark | author = Parco nazionale del Beigua Geopark | publisher = SAGEP | year = 2008 }}
{{Cite book | title= Guide pratiche parchi e aree protette liguri. Parco naturale regionale Beigua | author = Stefano Ardito | publisher = Erredi Grafiche Editoriali | year = 2006 }}