The special reserve

The special reserve - environment and protected area

Surface: 26 hectares
Altitude: 279 - 414 meters above sea level
Environment: mountain area

The landscape is initially mostly flat and features the ancient convent ruins and what is left of the fields and terraces once used for cultivation. The forest, covering approximately 50% of the area, features chestnut trees and a variety of oaks and durmasts. The peak offers mixed vegetation including ash, black alder, poplar and birch trees as well as numerous exotic species introduced in the past century. With the progressive abandonment of the cultivation, the expansion of the forest allowed wildlife to flourish, especially birds, insects and small mammals.

The gardens of the Rosminians

Open to the public, the gardens are an oasis of peace and tranquility. In 1658, the Bishop of Novara planned to expand the gardens making use of the vegetation in a fashion "evocative of the natural order", in contrast with the rigid symmetrical design of Renaissance gardens. Today, it boasts precious trees including exotic ones, such as sequoia, camphor, English yew trees and conifers from oversea, as well as numerous ornamental shrub species.