The Natural Riserve of Bosco di Santo Pietro: a wine and food tour
An excursion which will take you to the discovery of the beautiful surrounding nature, through the ancient and majestic cork trees of the Bosco di Santo Pietro
The excursion is recommended for all lovers of nature and Mediterranean fauna and flora. At the end of the excursion, you will be guided through a visit of our winery. The excursion will end with a delicious lunch with typical Sicilian products
The Program
The Bosco di Santo Pietro was instituted as a natural reserve in 1999. Santo Pietro is a small traditional village located twenty kilometers away from Caltagirone. The territory gently slopes from 390 meters above sea level towards the Vittoria level ground. It is bordered in the west and north by the valleys of Terrana and Ogliastro, in the east by the Ficuzza torrent and finally in the south by the borders of the municipality of Acate. More than 300 plant species enrich the territory.
Three main habitats are recognizable in the Santo Pietro wood: the cork oak, the holm oak and the garrigue. The monumental cork oaks of the forest, described with admiration by chroniclers of the past, have now largely disappeared. A recent survey carried out by the Sicilian Fund for Nature has attested the presence of about fifty cork trees and some carob trees with a trunk extension of three meters in circumference.
A specimen of Quercus Sube, situated in the Molara district, reaches 6.2 meters and is a wonderful sight. During the walk in the woods you could often meet porcupines, hares, wild rabbits and weasels. It is also possible to encounter wild cats and foxes. Among the birds, ninety-six different species can be observed, including the jay, but also some rare species such as the great spotted woodpecker, the pendulum or the kestrel.