Monumental Park

Index:

The Archaeological and Monumental Park of Baia stretches for about 14 hectares of "historical landscape", in which they are kept important archaeological ruins respectively of the Palatium or residence of the Roman emperors in Baia (from Augustus to Alessandro Severo) and of a large villa of the late republican age.

Baia: Parco Monumentale - Resti di Villa tardo-repubblicana -

The ruins of the villa of the late republican age emerged from the last excavations.

While the first archaeological area, also known as Thermae of Baia for the prevalent presence of thermal rooms, was dug with continuity since about 1930 and is from time open to the public, in the area of the Monumental Park only lately the archaeological research started again and it has been predisposed a route of visit and of linking with the Archaeological Park.

Baia: Parco Monumentale - Indagine di scavo -

An example of the researches of excavation

A convention stipulated in 1996 with the WWF Italy - Phlegraean Section assures the guardianship of the flora and of the fauna which are present in this area.

NATURALISTIC ASPECTS

The naturalistic area of the Monumental Park of Baia is divided into four parts: the first part is formed by paths with prevalence of ornamental plants transplanted and arranged in hedges and rows, among which pittospori, cypresses, oleanders, eucalyptuses, agaves; the second one is formed by a little wood with maritime and domestic pines, transplanted them too; the third one is formed by a vast area of spontaneous vegetation which stretches through a path, 800 metres long, along the eastern side of the Park, close to the port area of Baia; the fourth one is formed by fruit-trees, such as lemon-, mandarin-, orange-, pomegranate-, fig- and plum-trees. On the whole they have been assessed, at present, 81 plants.

Inside these environments they live many birds, both permanent and migratory ones, some exemplars of mammals and of reptiles. As regards the avifauna they have been sighted altogether 37 species of birds, in fact among the permanent ones there are: kestrels, owls, white wagtails, wrens, blackbirds, river nightingales, fan-tailed warblers, Sardinian warblers, and so on; while among the migratory ones: wrynecks, hoopoes, red-headed shrikes, buzzards, cuckoos, bee-eaters, and so on.

Because of the presence of some farmhouses inside the Park, the number of mammals is rather exiguous. In fact there are only few exemplars of foxes, weasels, hedgehogs, moles and mice. Among the reptiles there are colubers, lizards and geckos.

In order to know better this natural patrimony of the Phlegraean Fields, they were presented two monographic courses: THE PLANTS OF THE GODS and THE REGIONAL PARK OF THE PHLEGRAEAN FIELDS.

Francesco Scarpato