Riserva Naturale Statale Gola del Furlo

The Furlo Pass

The Furlo Pass is situated in the province of Pesaro, along the SS road n.3 Flaminia, 35 km far from Fano and 248 km far from Rome. It has a great historical fame for the works carried out by the Etruscans first, and then by the Roman Consuls and Emperors (massive walls, stone cuttings, galleries) as well as for being in the past the theater of great struggles. The landscape is suggestive, picturesque, and wild. The rocky walls of the mountains Pietralata and Paganuccio, deriving from the erosion of the waters of Candigliano, elevate themselves for hundreds of meters over the green small lake and form the characteristic Gola del Furlo with its particular alpine aspect and unique charm transforming it in one of the most attractive places of Central Italy. The waters of the river Candigliano flow into the historical river Metauro which reminds the defeat and the death of Asdrubale. The name of the locality derives from Forulus, that is the big Roman gallery opened in the year 76 A.D. by the Emperor Vespasiano, inside of which the road Flaminia passes still nowadays. Not far you can see the Abbey of San Vincenzo - also called of Petra Pertusa, from the very ancient name of the Furlo - a precious Romanesque work dating back to the 6th century, and the Sanctuary of the Pelingo (1820). The traditional excavation and working of the stone by local craftsmen is worth a mention. Also fossils and minerals are extracted from the quarries: they are interesting from a scientific point of view and can be curious for the tourist. A few kilometers far from there, the ancient district of Acqualagna is famous as production and market area of the most valuable truffles in Italy: the appointment for the connoisseurs is at the National Truffle Fair (during the first fifteen days of November).

Historical Features

The first ones to cross Gola del Furlo were the Etruscan people.
Subsequently the Romans, who opened with the building of the Flaminia road a large tunnel which is still in use.
Another valuable architectonic element is the Abbey of San Vincenzo (6th century).

Further information (Italian text)

Morphological Features

The river Candigliano, an affluent of the Metauro, crosses Gola del Furlo shaping the walls of Mt. Paganuccio (976m) and Mt. Pietralata (889m).

Geology and Paleontology

More than 200 million years are told by the rocky walls of Gola del Furlo. Beyond the most ancient formations of solid Limestone, there are other rocky strata, among which the Cornelian, the "Calcari Diasprini" and "ad Aptici", the Maiolica, the Marne a Fucoidi, the Scaglia Rossa and Bianca, up to the most recent formations (40 million years) like the Scaglia Cinerea.

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Flora and Vegetation

There are several and different vegetation formations in the Furlo territory: from the riparian vegetation to the ilex groves with relicts of Mediterranean vegetation, from the oak woods to the mesophyle woods up to meadows and pastures situated at high altitudes. Among the rare species which are also interesting from a naturalistic point of view there are: Moehringia papulosa (endemic species), the Black broom (Lembotropis nigricans), the Avignon berry (Rhamnus saxatilis), the Iris (Irisgraminea), several orchids among which Dactylorhiza romana and Orchis morio, the Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), the European Hackberry (Celtis australis).

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Fauna

The presence of several birds of prey which use the walls of the Gola to nest and the meadows at high altitudes to hunt, gives to Furlo Reserve a high naturalistic value. Among the most interesting species it is possible to observe: the Golden eagle, the Sparrowhawk, the Goshawk, the Montagu's harrier, the Peregrine, the Lanner. Other interesting Birds are: the Alpine Swift, the Crag martin, the Blue rock thrush, the Wall creeper, the Chough, the Dartford Warbler. Among the several species of Mammals we quote the most interesting ones from a naturalistic point of view, like the Wolf, the Porcupine, and the Polecat. Among the Amphibians, the Crested newt, the Agile frog, and the yellow-bellied toad. There are also several species of Reptiles populating the area, among which the four-lined Snake, the Aesculapian snake, the Asp viper, the Dice snake. In the waters of the Candigliano it is possible to find species like the Cyprinids, Gobidae, and the Brown trout.

(the following links lead to Italian texts)

• Birds
• Amphibians
• Mammals

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