Pantanello Park

The idea of re-naturalizing a stretch of the Roffredo Caetani’s famlands, adjacent to the Garden of Ninfa, took root in 1991 and was the brainchild of three conservationists associated with the Foundation: Fulco Pratesi, Honorary President of WWF Italy, and member of the Foundation’s general council, Arturo Osio, former Chairman of the Foundation, and Lauro Marchetti, Director of the Garden.

In an area of some 100 hectares, the project was designed to recreate the conditions that pertained prior to the reclamation of the Pontine marshes in the early 20th century.

The resultant Pantanello Park, with its woods, canals, lakes and marshland, is a unique habitat for migrating birds and wildlife in general. As such it complements the Garden of Ninfa and its historic buildings, bringing back to life the features and landscapes that were once there.

It began with a team of geologists, botanists, zoologists, entomologists and historians carrying out meticulous research on the original environment of the Pontine Marshes.
The Pantanello Park contains six ponds of differing dimensions, each fed by water from the river Nympheus: three of these feature plant life. Another, the Pond of the Amphibians, is a still-water pond without fish. The largest pond is the deepest and it is a habitat for aquatic bird life and for many species of insects. Lastly, there is a pond close to the western perimeter of Ninfa, in which is reflected the wall of the old town.

The Park contains flora and vegetation typical of the area prior to the 20th-century reclamation, much of this based on a study by the botanist Augusto Beguinot (1875–1940).

The Pantanello Park was opened on 15th December 2009.

It is open to the public during the winter season, from October to March, thus avoiding the nesting season. Pantanello lies on one of the main migratory routes, and is suitable for wintering and nesting. Among the species that have flown into the Park are teal, pochard, spoonbills, gadwalls, herons, egrets, lapwings, and birds of prey such as the marsh harrier and the peregrine falcon.
The Pantanello Park performs an educational role, through study programs, environmental monitoring and the study of wetland ecology of often carried out in collaboration with schools and research institutes, national and international.