Between Mainarde and Matese’s mountain rises an oasis of rare beauty able to offer a unique experience to discover many species of plants and animals.

The Volturno’s river, which with its 175 kilometers is the longest river in the southern Italy, signs a natural border between Molise and Campania. Here, precisely in the towns of Venafro and Capriati a Volturno, rises Le Mortine oasis, the habitat for many species of plants and animals.
The Oasis Mortine covers an artificial fluvial backwater which has been created after the construction of a barrier for the hydroelectric production which started in the 50s. In the 1999, 110 hectares owned by Enel were assigned to the WWF Italia together with a state-owned isle and a little artificial lake which today are part of the National Park of Matese. But what does this Oasis host? Let’s find out it together.

The Oasis is located between the Mainarde and the Matese where there is a dense vegetation divided by tributaries of the Volturno’s river that delimit some little isles of unique beauty. Precisely these slow waters facilitate the development of reeds that frame this natural spectacle. As you move inside the Oasis you may notice a natural landscape characterised by water mirrors which host a half-buried vegetation constituted by red and white willow, white poplar and black alder. This is the ideal habitat for a varied aquatic life constituted by the mallard, the common moorhen, the red heron and many other species.

It’s possible to do birdwatching taking advantage of the sheds to watch birds like the brown kite, the buzzard, the goshawk and the swamp’s owl. Of high natural value is also the ferruginous duck, species in global decline and included in the categories of international protection. To visit this natural paradise, it’s also possible to rent a bicycle or doing horseback riding. There are also botanic gardens, educational ponds and picnic areas to enjoy a snack.

Thus, what are you waiting for? Don’t miss this natural pearl of Molise.

Rosa Sallustio