Park Monte Catalfano

Our natural area

Monte Catalfano key facts

• Park Monte Catalfano is near Bagheria and Santa Flavia and it covers 296 hectares.

• This park has a playground, picnic zone, the zubbi caves, beautiful landscapes and many species of animals and plants.

• In park Monte Catalfano there are three mounts: Mount Aspra, Mount Città and Mount Catalfano.

• There is an archeological site called “Solunto”.

• The park is a protected zone for birds.

What can you see?

You can see:

• Zubbi (small caves in the side of the mountain)

•Cliffs

•Beautiful views of the sea and the countryside

•Lots of wildlife

•The archeological site of Solunto

Solunto…

• Solunto is an archeological site. It is found 600 ft above sea level on the southeast side of Monte Catalfano.

Soluntum is an ancient Hellenistic city on the northern coast of Sicily, on Mount Catalfano, about 2 kilometers from Santa Flavia, just behind Capo Zafferano, near Palermo. The site was orignally a maritime settlement, the Punic Kfra (about VIII century BC) located near Solanto, the city was founded in the fourth century BC by the Carthaginians, who ruled for more than a century. During this time it became a center of maritime traffic, rivaling Palermo and Motia. After the First Punic War (250 BC) Rome ruled the place. The decline of the city began in the first century AD, when the villagers abondoned gradually the place attracted by the cities of the plain.

…and its story

Plants of Park Monte Catalfano

Euphorbia dendroides

• Euphorbia dendroides, also know as tree spurge, is a small tree that grows in semi-arid and mediterranean climates.

• It is common in the Mediterranean, from Iberia to Egypt.

Euforbia

Chamaerops humilis• It is shrub-like clumping palm, with several stems growing

from a single base.

• The stems grow slowly and often tightly.

• In the past the peaple used this plant to make brooms.

Palma nana

Oleaeuropaea var. sylvestris• Oleaeuropaea, or olive trees, is an evergreen,which reach up to 15m tall.

• It has a broad crown and thick trunk and is often very short.

• The fruit, the olive, is green at first and very oily takes a year to turn a black-purple at full maturity.

Olivastro

Teucriumfruticans• Common name tree germander or shrubby germnander is a species of

flowering plant in the mint family.

• Growing to 1 m tall by 4 m wide, it is a spreading evergreen shrub with aromatic leaves and pale blue flowers in summer.

Camedrio

Orchis commutata• The most beautiful sight in spring, the offer wild

orchids(l’orchis commutata) with their special beauty and variety of forms.The natural vegetation has unique aspects in Sicily

Orchidea

Animals of Park Montecatalfano

Great tit (Parus Major)

The Great Tit is a distinctive bird, with a black head.

It has prominent white cheeks, olive upperparts and yellow under parts.

It is predominantly insectivorous in the summer, but will eat a wider range of food items in the winter months, including small hibernating bats.

Birds of preyPoiana and Gheppio

Gecko (Terentola Mauretanica)

It is native ton Europe and north africa. Adults can measure up to 15 cm,tail included. It has a big mouth, bjg eyes with no eyelids and vertical pupils. Brownish grey coloration with darker or lighter spots. If you cut off its tail, it re-grows.

House Mouse (Mus Domesticus)

Although a wild animal, the house mouse mainly lives in associaton with humans.

Wood Pigeon (Columba Palumbus)

It is basically a grey bird, with a pinkish breast and has white patches.

Most of its diet is vegetables from open fields.

In the autumne they eat figs and acorns, and in winter burds of trees and bushes. They also eat ants, and small worms.

What can you do ?

Walking routes.

At Monte Catalfano there are lots of walking routes of different lengths. You can see them on the map. Along the way, you can see a lots of trees and the forest.

You can play football on the football pitch, tennis on the tennis court, go running, trekking and bike riding in the mountains, or have a in the picnic area!

You must read the signs.

You mustn’t feed the animals.

You mustn’t light fires.

You must carry plenty of water.

What you must and mustn’t do!

See you soon in Park Montecatalfano!