The Alpine Garden of Pietra Corva is one of the most important botanical gardens in Italy and is located within the Municipality of Romagnese.
Founded in 1967 from the idea of Dr. Ridella who was passionate about botany and wanted to create a botanical garden in Romagnese, which would not only present the typical Apennine flora, but also the Alpine one and that of even more distant mountain ranges; in fact, from his foreign travels on mountain ranges such as the Andes and the Pyrenees, he brought plants that can still be seen now (many have disappeared, being non-native).
The Garden can be visited from April to October, and the most interesting time to observe the many blooms is between May - June.
The symbolic flower of the Garden is the Fritillaria, belonging to the Liliaceae, which is recognized for its purplish bell-shaped flower, with petals flecked with white. It can be visible both inside the Garden and in the surrounding areas, where it is possible to take beautiful walks immersed in the beech forest, in the woods, up to the top of Pietra Corva, or Pan per due (Panperduto) where you can see the Black Stones, so called for their characteristic color being of volcanic origin.
The Alpine Garden Pietra Corva became SIC in 2019 (Site of Community Interest) recognized by the European Union and is managed by the Province of Pavia through an agreement that binds the provincial body, the Municipality of Romagnese and the Oltrepò Pavese Mountain Community.
Between 2021 and 2022 the Alpine Garden of Pietra Corva underwent an important renovation thanks to funds obtained from the Lombardy Region which allowed an adaptation of both the internal structures and the experiential side with a whole new concept of visiting the site by affixing tablets and information panels within the site.
Alpine Garden of Pietra Corva
Born to present the typical flora of the Apennines, Alps and more distant mountain ranges, it has become one of the most important botanical gardens in Italy.
Continue the discovery of the area through our itineraries, click here to see them all
During walks in the Oltrepò countryside, especially in spring, you can come across many flowers and plants, including medicinal ones. Some, with an intoxicating scent and enchanting appearance, can deceive us because they are not always harmless, especially if you plan to use them in the kitchen.
Dandelion, Wild Hops, Officinal Lavender, Rosehip are just some examples of edible plants which, in addition to being excellent for creating original dishes, have numerous beneficial functions that few know of.
On the contrary, there are many species that do not lend themselves to use in the culinary art, but they feast our eyes on their colors and their beauty.
Find out what there is to know about the plant world, which ones are edible and what properties they hide.