A green heart immersed in the hills of the Sienese Chianti in the area that slopes down towards the Valdelsa. The Nature Reserve of Bosco di Sant’Agnese could be defined in this way, which extends over 271 hectares in the Municipality of Castellina in Chianti to its borders with the area of Poggibonsi. The Nature Reserve of Sant’Agnese is an important nature reserve in terms of both its flora and fauna. The vegetation is almost completely made up of cypresses next to live oak, strawberry tress and many typical species of Mediterranean scrub, such as Erica arborea and Phillyrea. The Reserve is managed by the Province of Siena, which aims at gradually replacing the cypress grove, whose origins date back to almost a millennium ago, with original vegetation that is mainly made up of conifers to support the natural renewal of the area’s flora.
From the point of view of the fauna, the Reserve is an ideal refuge for many animal species that eat in the surrounding areas, given the lack of food resources offered by the cypress.
Among the animals that can be seen in the Nature Reserve of Bosco di Sant’Agnese, there are many bird species, such as the blackcap, blue tit, serin, coal tit and turtle dove. There are also many night birds of prey, such as the horned owl, small owl and barn owl. Among the mammals there are the European porcupine, stone marten, weasel and hedgehog. The Reserve is also home to the Church of Sant’Agnese, a fortified building that belonged to the Sienese area in the 11th century and was then surrendered to the rival Florence.(Portions of this article first appeared in "Toscana & Chianti News")
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