Parco Fluviale del Tevere

This protected natural area extends over a surface of roughly 7,925 hectares and runs between Montemolino near Todi and the southern shores of Lake Alviano. The park flanks either side of the River Tiber for some 50 kilometres around the towns of Alviano, Baschi, Guardea, Montecastello di Vibio, Montecchio, Orvieto and Todi.

Environment
The Parco Fluviale del Tevere is a fine example of a natural environment that has been shaped by human intervention, in the form of the dam erected at Corbara to regulate the flow of the Tiber. Notwithstanding this, the area comprised within the reserve around the city of Todi has been declared among the world’s most ideal places in terms of quality of life in a research conducted by the University of Kentucky.

Fauna
Particularly rich in bird life, the Oasi di Alviano comes alive mostly during the nesting period and when it is used as a resting place by migratory birds in spring and autumn. Numerous species of water birds also inhabit the banks of the Tiber either side of the park, while the wooded slopes that run up from the water are rich in deer, roebuck and other forms of wildlife. The vegetation is typical of fluvial environments, with an abundance of alders, willows and poplars. Further up, the vegetation is largely Mediterranean scrub, such as that of Campione and Pasquarella, along with woods of deciduous trees (ilex, Turkish oak) and conifers. Much of the entire area is also occupied by farmland, while the Oasi di Alviano supports an abundance of water plants.

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"Umbria...Cuore verde d’Italia. Umbria delle acque e dei Parchi, Agenzia di Promozione turistica dell'Umbria, Perugia, pg. 72, by kind permission.

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