Montefalcone Nature Reserve
Castelfranco di Sotto is home to the most important protected area in Cerbaie
The Montefalcone Nature Reserve is located in the municipality of Castelfranco di Sotto, and is the most important protected in the Cerbaie, the hill chain in the lower Valdarno flanked by the Bientina and Fucecchio marshes.
The area extends for 503 hectares and alternates between high plains and thalwegs, which vary in height from 45 to 114 metres. The thalwegs, known as “little valleys,” are narrow in the mountains and wider further down, characterized by winding routes and occasional flooding.
This evocative landscape is incredibly beautiful thanks to the presence of a lush forest. The area is covered by extensive woods of maritime pine and Mediterranean scrub, which are home to deer and wild boar, as well as wolves, dormice, beech martens, skunks and weasels. In the wetlands, there are grey herons, common kingfishers and mallards.