Special nature reserve

Special nature reserve - environment and protected area

Surface: 47 hectares
Altitude: 355 - 455 meters above sea level
Environment: hills

The Sacred Mount is one of the highest points of the eastern sector of Basso Monferrato, on a hill with very steep slopes consisting of easily erodible sedimentary rock. The exposure and climate allow for a very varied vegetation, with about 996 types of flowers. On the steep and shady northern side, there are woods of leafed helm (Ulmus minor), cherry, hornbeam, bay-oak, chestnut, curly maple and mountain maple (Acer pseudoplatanus). The south side with temperate climate and  less steep, has a thick coppice wood of downy oak, manna-ash, mountain maple, hack-berry, ash, oak and robinia. Carnel-tree, fusaria, vescicaria, broom, viburnum lantana grow in the undergrowth. There are also beautiful blooms of pond lily, anemones, orchis maculata and orchids. Among the fauna there are badgers, foxes, squirrels, dormouse and hares, while among the birds there are buzzards, kestrels, common owls and numerous songbirds.