Located on a gentle slope that descends towards the Provincial Road and the Bisatto canal - next to the Parish Church of Rivadolmo - the municipal park of Ginestre extends over more than two and a half hectares on the area once occupied by a limestone quarry for the production of lime and cement until a few years ago.
Above the old quarry square, a rocky outcrop displays the typical layered structure of this geological formation, which is very common in the southern part of the Euganeans where, between Arquà Petrarca, Baone, and Valle S. Giorgio, it forms a vast and arid undulating plateau. The Geological Map refers to this ancient rock as Red Scaglia, formed on the seabed before the volcanism that created the Euganean Hills.
The Rivadolmo area enjoys a mild sub-Mediterranean climate, placing it among the most favorable climatic areas of the Euganean Hills. This has favored not only residential settlements but also traditional agricultural crops situated between the hills and plains, as well as a rich spontaneous flora of a hot, dry type. After the exploitation of the quarry and the initial arrangement, nature has reclaimed its space, developing a rather diverse flora that, along with local species, includes ornamental trees and shrubs. The characteristics of the current vegetation vary from the hedge that runs along the northeastern boundary of the Park, formed by species associated with the original thermophilic scrub, where the cork oak is accompanied by black hornbeam and flowering ash.
The area above the Park, which was the old quarry square, is now a large flat meadow taken over by typical warm, dry grassland vegetation, highlighted by vigorous pioneering shrubs such as hawthorn and the stunning broom. A grove, shaded in summer and variably colorful in autumn, occupies the southern zone of the Park: it includes field maple, hornbeam, flowering ash, elm, common service tree, black pine, and Atlas cedar, creating a particularly intimate and suggestive environment.
Continuing along the winding path, the trees thin out, and in the upper part, the vegetation takes on a bright appearance, dominated by sunny broom, which blooms in May, dog rose, fragrant privet, hawthorn, and large white-flowered lantana. In the grassy glades, it is not uncommon to encounter orchids among the meadow broom and red geranium, including the Anacamptis pyramidalis.
The botanical aspect is complemented downward by the widespread vegetation characterized by vigorous bushes of dog cherry or St. Lucia cherry, Prunus mahaleb, a species well-suited to calcareous-arid soils, but not characteristic of the Euganean area and introduced during the first arrangement.
The short elevation that closes the Park towards the west hosts, along with spiny asparagus, rustic invasive species such as ailanthus, native to Japan and robinia from the Appalachian Mountains of North America.
The local fauna includes colorful jays, with their hoarse warning calls, and pheasants, which often make their hoarse calls hidden among the hedges near the cultivated fields. On summer days, it is possible to see the hoopoe perched on the paths while the golden oriole, with its vibrant yellow-black plumage, whistles its strong call; higher up, above the quarry plateau, one can admire the gliding flight of a pair of buzzards. In winter, among the bare branches of the hawthorns, one can encounter the plump robin and the friendly wren. The surroundings are home to the most common mammals of the countryside and hills, although it is quite difficult to spot them during the day. These include the hedgehog, fox, weasel, marten, and, further up the mountain, the badger. The dormouse and the charming harvest mouse move through the branches of the hazels and hawthorns in the evening. Amphibians are represented by the red frog and the emerald toad with its intense green-spotted coloration on a light background. The lizard and the green lizard represent the reptiles; the colubro is rare, and the “scarbonasso” has never been observed.
In addition to its naturalistic and educational attractions, the Park of Ginestre offers a fitness path that winds through the winding pathways where, at two lovely wooden bridges and benches for resting, various gym equipment alternates, allowing everyone a particularly pleasant and relaxing recreational moment. There is also an area where free play, animation, and sports activities can take place. Three wooden kiosks, the first at the entrance, illustrate the structure and salient features of the Park of Ginestre. The furnishings are completed by a charming potable water fountain.
The Park, served by designated free parking for cars and buses, is open all year round, from nine in the morning until sunset.
Access is free and unrestricted.
