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MOUNTAINS
>> AMIATA
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NATURE
The natural beauties are the main attraction of the Amiata
Mountain. The heart of the mountain is the beech, chestnut, fir-tree
and oak forests which extend from 3000m height to the peak of the
Amiata Mountain. The protected forest gives shelter to the fox and
many birds of prey which are almost extinguished in other parts.
But the most common animals are the wild boar, the deer and the
squirrel.
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The
typical animals of the Amiata and those which risk to be extinguished
are protected in the Parco Faunistico (the Fauna Park), located in
the municipality of Arcidosso. It is a vast observation and study
area where the ecosystem is protected to guarantee the survival and
reproduction of the Apennine wolf, the raindeer, the deer, the mufflon,
the fox, the buzzard, the hawk, the beech-marten and the weasel. The
scientists of the Parco Faunistico have contributed to save the typical
donkey of the Amiata, which used to be very common but now risks to
die out due to the use of vehicles.
Inside the Parco Faunistico there are winding trails which
allows you to watch the animals and reach the top of the Monte Labbro,
at 1193 metres. Here you have a view over the whole area of the Amiata,
the Albegna valley and a big part of the Maremma. On the top of the
Monte Labbro you find the David Tower, a medieval fortress which was
transformed into a church by the famous predicator of the Amiata.
Those who like go trekking here find one of the best designed
and maintained trail in the south of Tuscany. The Anello dell'Amiata,
which runs between 1000 and 3000 metres height and can be reached
from all the roads leading to the top and are signed with red and
white marks. If you want to walk the whole trail it will take you
12 hours, but there is the possibility to choose shorter itineraries.
The Anello dell'Amiata is connected with all the small villages of
the valley thanks to smaller tracks. In this way you can just start
at the main square of any village without taking the car.
The top of the Amiata mountain, which hosts ski pists in the
winter, is famous for the beauty of its forests, which are thicker
here, and for the beauty of the views. You reach the top from Seggiano,
Castel del Piano, Arcidosso or from Santa Fiora, taking the ring road
up the 1400 metres. Here you leave the car and, from the marvellous
plateaux of the Contessa and the Macinaie where you can stop to relax,
you reach the top in a few minutes. On the top of the Amiata you find
a big iron cross, raised in 1910, and from this point you have an
incredible view. In clear days you see the Tyrhennian and the lakes
of Trasimeno and Bolsena, the chain of the Apennines and the valleys
at the foot of the mountain.
Among the precious natural resources of the Amiata there are
the thermal springs of Bagnore, in the municipality of Santa Fiora,
and the spas in Bagni San Filippo, close to Castiglione d'Orcia. In
both the establishments you can enjoy the benefits of the water, but
Santa Fiora is probably the only Italian spring with ozone water,
a gas which features some special diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.
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