Cape Milazzo Reserve,

an earthly paradise in Sicily

STOP POLLUTION IN MILAZZO! OPEN YOUR MINDS!

topics on Ambiente Milazzese

We at Milazzo are nature! We at Milazzo are environment! We at Milazzo are sea and that sea! May all those who pollute Milazzo die! We want to live and have healthy children and grandchildren. We think that even the industrialists are interested in this thingt! We spent at least 30 years of our life behind the dream of the Reserve of Capo Milazzo, filming and collecting news and facts that we entrust to the boys for their scholastic research and posterity because they spread the high concept.

Claudio Italiano

seei Isola di Milazzo, Milazziano

Riserva del capo: le piante 1
Riserva del capo: le piante 2
Aspetti floro-vegetativi di Capo Milazzo 1
Aspetti floro-vegetativi di Capo Milazzo
Mario Crisafulli: flora Riserva Capo Milazzo
Mario Crisafulli: flora Riserva di Capo Milazzo
Riserva del capo: la fauna
Riserva del capo: uccelli

The students of Luigi Rizzo, led by teachers Natalina Torre and Enza Perez, shot a video, directed by Claudio Italiano and were classified at the Global Educational Festival of Sanremo in 2008; the theme they chose was based on the reserve of Capo Milazzo. The title was: "From Hell to Heaven". (cfr Un DVD per la Riserva)

VIDEO FILMED BY THE BOYS OF LUIGI RIZZO AND CLASSIFIED IN SANREMO AT THE GLOBAL EDUCATION FESTIVAL OF 2008

The Capo Milazzo Reserve and the Marine Reserve are assets of the whole world! The Cape Reserve: a unique reality, a miracle of the neogenic evolution of the Mediterranean that the whole world envies us, except Milazzo's people who has not yet established it, nor understood it!

Videoclip dall'Inferno al Paradiso parte I

Videoclip dall'Inferno al Paradiso parte II

What is a reserve?


The nature reserves are "territories which, for reasons of general interest, especially of a scientific, aesthetic and educational nature, are subtracted from the uncontrolled human intervention and placed under the control of the public authorities in order to guarantee the preservation and protection of fundamental natural features "(art.2 LR 98/1981). They have limited extension, sometimes identifiable with a single biotope, that is a phenomenon or natural entity, valuable in terms of ecology and landscape, significant from the scientific point of view and representative of specific aspects of certain territories. They differ from the regional natural parks which are, instead, "areas of considerable extension, often coinciding with a natural area not yet transformed by industrial and metropolitan intensive civilization, suitable for vocation to fulfill composite purposes among which, alongside the priority conservation, education, recreation in the open air and leisure time ".See >> panorama a 360 °dalla Baronia su GoogleMaps

 The area covered by the Nature Reserve proposal, presented to the Regional Territory and Environment Department of the Municipality of Milazzo, is the extreme part of the Capo Milazzo promontory. Much of this area, the northern end of Capo Milazzo, consists of the lands of the Baronia owned by the Lucifer Foundation, established in 1963, which pursues as an institutional aim the assistance of the frail and needy children.

It includes:
- the territory of the "Baronia" with an area of ​​56.40 hectares;
- the Montetrino area (up to the base of the hilly emergency);
- the rocky ridge that connects the territory of the Baronia to the west and Tono tip.
It borders:
- to the south with Via dei Platani and until its extension in Via delle Scale up to the Levante sea;
- in Este with the Shores of Riva Smeralda, Cirucco and Punta Mazza;
- to the North with the Bay of Rinella, the Lighthouse, Punta Gamba di Donna, Punta Messinese and the rock of the Portella;
- to the west with the Cala di S. Antonio and Puntalacci and from here, following the whole ridge of the west for a height of 60 meters towards Pietre Rosse, Testa dell'Impiccato, Punta Gottazze. Punta Riali, up to Punta del Tono.


Type


Being the territory in question, with significant environmental, scientific, aesthetic and social value and therefore it is necessary that it be subtracted from the uncontrolled human intervention (so to speak!) In order to allow its conservation and protection proposes inclusion on the list of the Oriented Natural Reserves of the Sicily Region, pursuant to the Regional Law May 6, 1981 n. 98 on "Regulations for the establishment of parks and nature reserves in the Sicilian Region", with the amendments and additions referred to in Law. 9 August 1988, n. 14 and succ.

An earthly paradise called Capo Milazzo

The milazzese does not know or has never understood or, worse still, pretends not to have understood that in the land of Sicily God has given him an earthly paradise. And let's see why.

Climate

The average annual rainfall is 65 mm with an uneven distribution but with greater concentration in the autumn-winter period. The average summer temperature records values ​​of about 26 °, the winter temperature of 12 °. The low humidity of the area is a characteristic element of the Mediterranean climate. It can be defined as a thermo-Mediterranean character. It can be defined as an attenuated type. Preferential wind direction W-E.

Fauna

typical species of the Mediterranean scrub. In particular we will have: European hedgehog, wild mouse, house mouse, fox, weasel, bat, wild conure, moscardino, surmolotto.

Birdlife.sparviero, rondine, cuculo, gheppio : uccelli della Riserva del Capo Milazzo

Birds are the best indicators of the health of an environment and from their presence or absence, in quantitative and qualitative terms, the importance of a given area can be established. Numerous visits were made for which it was possible to draw up the list below. Some species have been observed only in transit, being mainly aquatic, in need therefore of marshes or streams for the stop. This does not mean that the area is important, intact as it is currently, even for them. Furthermore, eastern Sicily is affected by a notable migratory flow of birds flying to and from Africa. The migration is in fact both autumn and spring and millions of birds leave Sicily from Capo Milazzo, heading towards the Aeolian Islands and from there in the rest of Europe. Among the vegetation, the rocks, the natural hiding places, they find refuge from the predators, they rest after the exhausting efforts of the trip, they take refuge, feeding themselves on insects, fruits of the typical Mediterranean vegetation of the area. Big predators, like eagles and hawks, hunt rodents and small birds, sometimes insects. It is essential that they find in this natural springboard towards the Tyrrhenian Sea a safe and rich place for food for them, as well as during the outward journey to Africa, after having traveled hundreds of kilometers of open love. In fact, they are threatened species all over Europe and the EU has launched safeguard projects for years.

Traditional and ethno-anthropological agricultural landscape

Area is of considerable interest for the naturalistic, landscape, geomorphological, anthropic, architectural and urban aspects, evidence of different historical and cultural periods and ancient geological eras. From the vegetational point of view the territory is characterized by two fundamental aspects: one naturalistic and the other anthropic. The area is at an average height of 75 meters with winds prevailing from the west-northwest quadrants as indicated by the foliage of ancient olive trees. Traditional crops are made up of olive groves and vineyards. The olive grove covers an area of ​​46 hectares with a sixth of ml.9X9; the variety of olive trees is the "oglialora messinese", an autochthonous typical oil cultivar, with a planting capacity of about 140 years. The yield in fruit is of about 1.00 per plant, with an oil yield of 28.30%. In progress, the olive grove is equipped with an undernourished automated irrigation system and undergoes or should undergo an average three-year pruning. The other traditional culture is represented by the vineyard, with an area of ​​10 hectares. The cultivation of the vine in this area dates back to very ancient times, even if it has undergone various transformations over time, the most important of which dates back to the beginning of the last century . Following the Fillosserica invasion, the vineyards were rebuilt by hybrids of American vines, which found in Piana di Milazzo one of the most important study centers in Europe, from which the nursery activity originated, which still today holds economic importance. in the territory. The wines produced in this area were quite renowned, so much so as to be mentioned in a note from the 1930s by prof. Federico Paulsen, director, at the time, of the Governor Nursery of American Viti of Palermo. In fact, the wines known as "Capo Rosso" and "Capo Bianco" were famous as the peninsula assumes also due to the calcareous white color of the rocks. In this sense, the production of Cape wine can certainly be enhanced by typifying it in the context of current regulations.

Natural vegetation.

Inverno a Milazzo: veduta dalla Manica della spiaggia di Ponente e del Tono.The natural vegetation consists above all of essence typical of the Mediterranean, even if in a diversified manner compared to the pedological nature of the territory, its morphology, the exposure of the slopes and the prevailing winds. We find the scrubland vegetation along the coastal slopes spread on degraded soils and on very rugged terrain. Rupicolous vegetation is instead located in the rocky ravines and is characterized by a fragmented halophyte vegetation scattered along the coast. The action of the prevailing winds to the west diversifies the development of the vegetation of the eastern slopes from the western ones of the Cape. In fact, the former have a higher degree of humidity than the latter. asphodelus fistolosusThe shrubby vegetation along the dilevant slope, in association with other lianas and various herbs and shrubs (rubia peregrina, lonicera inplexa, teucrium flavium, prasym mayus, anemone hortensis and asparagus acutifolius) is characterized by the presence of pistacia lentiscus and broom of Spain (spartium yunceum), as well as from the "Euphorbia dendroides" which is a xerothermofila plant like the Opuntia, the Artemisia arborescens, the European Olia sylvestris. The action of the salt has favored the development of halophyte entities typical of rocky coasts, both near the sea and inside. The north-eastern area presents geo-botanical emergencies characterized by a rich vascular flora consisting of species typical of the Mediterranean scrub which also include Olivastro, Lentischio and Artemisia. It is worth mentioning the Opuntia ficus indica, the Echinox spinosissimus Turra, Senecio gibosius and the Limonium minutiflorum, the Agave (of Mexican origin as the Opuntus) spread over the escarpments of the west coast facing the Bay of St. Antonio, the Oxales pes-caprae (yellow sorrel) and the golden-yellow Chrysantemum coronarium, annual plant that covers uncultivated land in wide expanses, the Orchis italica, present on stony soils. Among the rupicolous vegetation we remember the Scabiosa Credica considered rare in Sicily. The caper (caparis rupestris and spinosa), typical plant of the Mediterranean, spontaneous shrub with simple leaves, large pink flowers, large berries, grows in the ravines of the calcareous rocks of the Cape. The flower buds form the "caper" from brine.

The geological studies on the Milazziano

Particolare del costone che da sulla Baia, rocce calcaree e piante arbustive, comprese il cappero e le opuntieStudied under the geomorphological, geological and palaeontological profile since the nineteenth century, Capo Milazzo has a high scientific interest, as evidenced by the numerous researches that is rich in literature. The reason for what has been illustrated by A. Zagami (A contribution to the census of the Sicilian geological heritage: Capo Milazzo), which has shown that in the locality of Punta Mazza and Cala S. Antonio the whole sedimentary succession emerges, which provides an interesting model of proximal sedimentation in the context of the complex evolution of the Mediterranean. And he underlined how the area, subject to landscape restrictions, does not present anthropic works that could cause an irreversible environmental impact. Stratigraphically, the Promontory, in the northern part of which is the Baronia, consists of an island with a metamorphic base emerging as a result of orogenetic movements in the Quaternary period, considered, therefore, as a relatively recent derivation of the coastal plain by a sandy supply. The Quaternari di Milazzo soils can be divided (cf. Ruggeri, Institute of Paleontology and Geology of the University of Palermo): - Pebble sands of the terrace between 40-60 meters along the west coast, between the Tonnara and S. Antonio, on the east coast from Punta Salto del Cavallo to Crucco. They are of limited thickness (a few dm). The outcrops are limited to the coastal cliffs, because the sands are hidden by the mantle of pumice brown cinerites that cover the flat part of the island. This terrace is the stratotype of the Milazziano.- Bench flaps a few meters from the sea or submerged. Indications of the existence of the oldest Quaternary of the Milazziano, are the flowers of lithophages at high altitudes on the rocks of Montetrino and certain calcareous-pebble fills of the fractures. So there was a marine quaternary "Premilazziano" today eroded or hidden by rear sediments. It is likely that the Milazziane sands may contain fossils from this older Quaternary, such as Valvelapore and fragments that are often found.

Archaeological settlements in the area of the Capo Reserve

In the area of Baronia there are traces of human presence since the middle of the fourth millennium BC. It is documented by the discovery of fragments of worked obsidian, obsidian blocks and Stentellian style ceramics. This continuous presence, more or less uninterrupted until the classical era (about IV century BC) documented this time by fragments with black paint, red or black decorated ceramic, fragments of acromi.

Lucifero foundation building.

Capo Milazzo: edificio del Barone Baele e Chiesetta di S. Nicolò, oggi conevento di suore.A building dating back to the mid-17th century, with the annexed Chapel of St. Nicholas, it was the work of Baron Onofrio Baele, who gave the name to the district of Capo, called "Baronia", fief of that family. In 1751 by succession it came to the Lucifero family. After the various events, the family died out and passed to the "Lucifero Foundation of S. Nicolò"; established in 1963 as a Moral Body, it has the purpose of assisting the frail and needy children and is governed by a Board of Directors comprising representatives of the Municipality, the Bishop and the Prefect.

The Bay of St. Antonio.

In the Bay, to the north, nestled halfway up the ridged side of the promontory, there are the remains of a medieval tower with two elevations, a square plan with rounded corners, four access portals and upper openings - now collapsed - in Gothic style. The tower, vulgarly called "U palumbaru" would not be a military building but the Chillemi and the Malandrino attribute it to a project of 28 August 1895 to realize a picturesque insertion in the natural scenery of the Bay. The Torre Lunga, however, which today exists only as a ruin, is located near the square of S. Antonio. It is an ancient tower for maritime defense, dated 1584.

The Sanctuary of S. Antonio da Padova.

It is carved into the rock, where originally it was a cave in which the Portuguese Fernando of Bulhoes took refuge and subsequently Sant'Antonio, when, following a storm, in January 1221, the ship that was to take him to Lisbon, he found shelter in the Bay of Capo Milazzo, said by him of S. Antonio. He returned to Milazzo in 1222 to do the work of evangelization. After his death in 1231 and his canonization (1232), the cave became a place of worship and spiritual retreat. The current sanctuary built in the rock is the result of works begun in 1575, by the noble Andrea Guerriera; in 1737 by the archbishop of Messina Tommaso De Vidal and the archpriest of Milazzo Abate Francesco Maria Proto, and in 1783. Among the works preserved are worth mentioning the main altar with inlays and stucco capitals, built in 1699 and in 1704; the side altar of the Madonna della Provvidenza of 1697; finally the wooden statue of the Saint by the sculptor Noè Ma roll of 1704; the stone portal is from 1699.

Montetrino

It can be reached from the parallel to the ridge that leads to the square of S. Antonio, through a narrow road flanked by olive groves and "armacie", which eventually climbs up a narrow winding path lapped by an intact, thick and fragrant Mediterranean scrub; There are hawthorn, Carob tree, wormwood, gladiolus the lyric, common broom, rock caper, wild fennel.

 

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