Natural Park
The Vauda Nature Reserve is a natural area located in lower Canavese about 15 km from Turin and was established as a regional protected area in 1993. It has a curious Y-shape with a surface of 2654 hectares and involves the municipalities of San Carlo Canavese, Nole, Vauda Canavese, Front, Rivarossa, San Francesco al Campo and Lombardore.
The term Vauda derives from the Celtic "vald" meaning forest: in fact, in ancient times this territory was covered by large, shady woods. Even today it is still considered an anomalous flat land, as it is a scarcely cultivated area.
After the deforestation that took place in past centuries, men realised that the soils of Vauda, like all the plateaus surrounding the reserve, are acid, clayey and often stony: agricultural production does not yield enough and the fields have been left to pasture. In this way, the original vegetation has been maintained, which has not been eliminated by the use of herbicides in intensive agriculture. This is the main reason why this corner of the plain has remained practically intact.
Its appearance is quite varied, ranging from a large flat area full of ponds and small lakes to small valleys carved out by streams, almost like small canyons, humid and full of woods.
The lowlands are dominated by heathland. Heathland is a special type of plant association, characterised by heather (Calluna vulgaris; it is also called heathland).
The vegetation is therefore typically heathland, characterised by the presence of wide open spaces, dominated by grasses and calluna on the plains; along the course of the streams, shady hornbeam and oak woods prevail.
The song of numerous bird species is a constant background music for those who visit this area: almost 200 varieties have been recorded, some of which are now rare in the plain.
Walks, long rides, bicycle rides find here an ideal setting for those who want to relax in an oasis of peace and tranquillity.
The Reserve can be visited freely.
The term Vauda derives from the Celtic "vald" meaning forest: in fact, in ancient times this territory was covered by large, shady woods. Even today it is still considered an anomalous flat land, as it is a scarcely cultivated area.
After the deforestation that took place in past centuries, men realised that the soils of Vauda, like all the plateaus surrounding the reserve, are acid, clayey and often stony: agricultural production does not yield enough and the fields have been left to pasture. In this way, the original vegetation has been maintained, which has not been eliminated by the use of herbicides in intensive agriculture. This is the main reason why this corner of the plain has remained practically intact.
Its appearance is quite varied, ranging from a large flat area full of ponds and small lakes to small valleys carved out by streams, almost like small canyons, humid and full of woods.
The lowlands are dominated by heathland. Heathland is a special type of plant association, characterised by heather (Calluna vulgaris; it is also called heathland).
The vegetation is therefore typically heathland, characterised by the presence of wide open spaces, dominated by grasses and calluna on the plains; along the course of the streams, shady hornbeam and oak woods prevail.
The song of numerous bird species is a constant background music for those who visit this area: almost 200 varieties have been recorded, some of which are now rare in the plain.
Walks, long rides, bicycle rides find here an ideal setting for those who want to relax in an oasis of peace and tranquillity.
The Reserve can be visited freely.
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