Alpine Pietra Corva’s Botanical Garden, the wonders of nature

The Pietra Corva‘s Alpine Botanical Garden  is located in the Oltrepò Pavese Montano .
In fact, this wonderful garden extends on all the Monte Pietra di Corvo , a mountain of the Ligurian Apennines that exceeds 1000 meters on the border between the Comune of Pavia and the Comune of Piacenza, where in prehistoric times everything was covered by the Ligurian Ocean.
It is recognized as a SIC area, that is, a Site of Community Importance.
Specifically, the Botanical Garden is in the Comune of Romagnese , towards the Grazzi Hamlet.

The beauty of the place and the wealth of natural elements make it one of the major destinations of naturalistic interest in the Oltrepò and attracts tourists from everywhere and of all ages .

Among large conifers and beech trees, you find yourself in a labyrinth made of small paths that draw flowerbeds.
And it is there that, among the rocks, you can admire countless plants, even rare ones.

The entrance path leads in front of the guesthouse with a small educational museum attached.
On the right side the surface of the garden is almost flat and hosts numerous flowerbeds and rockeries, rare plants and plants from distant places, two ponds and alpine plants.

Who is responsible for this splendid Alpine Botanical Garden?

The Dr. Antonio Ridella was a naturalist and a great botany enthusiast. In 1960 he developed the idea of ​​creating a botanical garden in this area and decided to undertake several trips to the main European mountain ranges , to collect various specimens of plants and flowers to bring to “his” garden.

From an operational point of view, the creation of the garden was the work of gardener Cesare Soffritti , who set up the flowerbeds and internal paths. It was then inaugurated in 1967. It
is part of the International Association of Alpine Botanical Gardens which studies, defends and conserves the Alpine flora of every continent and has a Seed Catalogue, to allow an exchange of seeds with approximately 400 Botanical Gardens and Gardens around the world.
Today the Botanical Garden is also enriched by the Visitor Centre and the Study Centre of the Northern Apennines.

What can you see at the Pietra Corva Botanical Garden?

Already from the entrance path, you can see the rhododendrons; continuing, you can admire other beautiful flowers such as crocuses, snowdrops, bellflowers, anemones, buttercups.

The stretch of woodland is rich in beech, maples, hornbeam, chestnut, pear, cherry, hazelnut, hawthorn, larches, pine trees.

In the area of ​​the two ponds there is a riot of white and yellow water lilies, accompanied by water clover, reed buttercups, ferns, irises and marsh orchids. Two small oases of peace where nature reigns supreme: in addition to the plants that embellish the landscape, various species of amphibians live there.

Another section is dedicated to the vegetation of the Maritime Alps, the Dolomites, the Gran Sasso massif and the Apuan Alps.

Not far from a small stream, you can admire the marsh violet and even an American carnivorous plant, while in other parts of the garden there are plants from the Pyrenees, the Andes and North America.

Images taken from VisitPavia

A precious garden with an international scope. A mountain corner that contains plants from all over the world and is right here, in the mountains of our beloved Oltrepò.
It welcomes tourists every Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10.00 to 18.00 .
For the year 2024, it is open until Sunday 29 September . Every first Sunday of the month, admission is free for everyone, on other days, it is free for those up to 18 years old and from 65 years old, while for all other visitors, the ticket costs €3.
Inside there is also a refreshment point, the Bar Ristorante del Giardino Alpino di Pietra Corva . It has everything!

The surrounding area is equally beautiful, so it is worth planning a visit to the small village of Romagnese, a stop at the fire-red 
Big Bench 170 , an excursion to the Rio Rivarolo waterfalls, perhaps stopping nearby in the 
free camper area in Romagnese.

Where to eat in the area?

At La Sosta dei Sapori in Romagnese – Cà dei Tolonini – you can stop for a restorative lunch, perhaps on the terrace, while in Frazione Grazzi, still in the municipality of Romagnese, you can stop in a delightful farmhouse with accommodation: this is the 
Agriturismo Giaredi .

The Taste of the Oltrepò

During these very pleasant trips, don’t we want to bring home some local products? The answer can only be yes!!

Then a stop at a historic company in Romagnese that has blown out 50 candles is a must: Salumificio Romagnese ! Pop into their shop and you will find salami, mushrooms, mustard, parmesan, wines, lentils and more.

La Selvatica Val Tidone , at almost 1000 meters and a few steps from Monte Penice, is a company that produces fruit jams, onion jams, dog rose jams, juices and syrups of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, red and black currants, gooseberries and then herbal teas with its own medicinal plants.
With the vegetables it produces dried vegetable stock. Good, natural products, not bulky and that can easily be kept in a suitcase or backpack, even when temperatures are high.

This Tour to the Botanical Garden risks becoming a short vacation to fill your eyes and heart with the wonders of nature and fill your belly with local delicacies.