The mountain at whose foot Venafro lies, on one of its debris cones, is called Santa Croce. Another name is Monte Cerino, which probably derives from Hercules Curinus, whose cult was important among the Samnites. To those arriving in Venafro from the east, the restless outline of this mountain seems to reproduce the town’s own profile, with the rock of the cross standing for the Castle and the Torricella for the bell towers of the historic centre.
Santa Croce is rich in historical, natural and geological features. The historical ones are the ruins of ancient settlements, such as Roman remains and “Cyclopean” walls, as well as the living memory of the last world war (the “split mountain” trail); the geological and natural ones are cliffs, limestone outcrops and dizzying crags that are home to many species of birds of prey, including the rare short-toed snake eagle.
The gigantic limestone spur that rises from the slope 200 metres below the summit, on top of which the Cross stands, is inaccessible from every side because it is bounded by sheer drops, except on the eastern side, where the remains of Samnite polygonal walls survive; these controlled access to the less steep areas of the summit (Rocca Saturno).
The olive landscape, although partly compromised, characterises the slopes of Monte Corno and Santa Croce. Of great importance is the presence of unique cultivars such as the Aurina, a native variety specific to Venafro and identifiable with the ancient “Licinia” of the Romans, and other old varieties including the Pallante, the Olivastro breve, the Olivastro dritto, the Rotondella, the Rossuola, the Olivastrello, the “male” olive, the Gragnaro and the Lagrimella.
This high crop biodiversity, a sign of natural value, was justified by the olive grove’s greater adaptability to weather conditions, which meant having a product that was always consistent in quantity, depending on the year and the fruiting of the various olive varieties.
Even today it is possible to find very ancient terraces, interspersed with the remains of Republican-era farm buildings with cisterns built of limestone chips, and the remains of Roman fortifications running straight down from the Torricella.
Without doubt, despite the many factors of degradation that have impoverished these mountains (fires, uncontrolled urban development), the Madonna della Libera valley is the most interesting from a natural point of view, with dense olive groves which at around four hundred metres give way to mixed woodland with large downy oaks.
Overall, the mountains over which the Park extends are the first foothills of the Mainarde and have considerable biodiversity.
The birdlife is characterised by numerous species of birds of prey; in addition to the short-toed snake eagle already mentioned, the lanner falcon (which nested here until at least a few years ago) and the peregrine falcon stand out. The common buzzard is frequent.
Among mammals, the wolf has appeared several times on the edges of the Park, and the porcupine is also worth noting. Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) is still found in the surrounding area.
Beyond the olive-growing belt there are other elements typical of deciduous scrubland, such as the terebinth, the Judas tree and the feral olive; Turkey oak, downy oak, hop hornbeam and manna ash are found at higher levels. At the upper limits of the forest, just above 1,000 metres, holm oak woodland predominates, associated in a distinctive way with beech, as well as sycamore maple, wych elm, holly and yew.
Of great importance are the primeval stands of large downy oaks below the limestone outcrops of Monte Santa Croce and Monte Corno. A detailed naturalistic report on the area, which is also a Site of Community Importance (IT7212171 – Monte Corno – Monte Sammucro), has been produced by the Italian Botanical Society.
