Imagine, if you will, crickets chirping amid the sprawling metropolis that stretches from Milan to Varese. This is Parco Lura. It offers a surprising escape. It bridges urban chaos with rural peace.
Parco Lura is not just a park. It is a local park of interest for more municipalities. Its acronym is Plis. It covers one thousand hectares across ten municipalities. Eight are in the Province of Como. Two are in the Province of Varese.
Let’s dive into its story.
The seeds of Parco Lura were sown in 1975. Nine municipalities united to purify sewer water. This collaboration evolved. Visionary administrators saw the potential for a park in the 1980s. They harmonized environmental plans. They defined the park’s perimeter. In 1995, Regione Lombardia officially recognized Parco Lura.
Since 2000, a dedicated consortium manages Parco Lura. With a small team, they have invested millions of Euros. They created itineraries and picnic areas. They reforested and recovered the environment. Sixteen kilometers of tracks now invite visitors. They allow exploration of almost the entire valley.
The municipalities of Saronno and Rovello Porro went the extra mile. They purchased land to enable reforestation. They created recreational meadows and cycling paths. Saronno now boasts its own large territorial park.
Parco Lura continues to evolve. It improves its territory each year. A new underpass now bypasses the busy Novedratese road. Soon, a light gangway will connect it to cycling paths. One will be able to cycle from Saronno town center to Cadorago. This will be entirely on cycling paths and trails.
Half of Parco Lura is woodlands. The other half is cultivated fields. Farmers and woodsmen manage this land. The consortium fosters dialogue and mutual respect with them. Their work is essential. They protect the natural territory from development.
Parco Lura supports local rural entrepreneurs. They offer accommodation and maintain routes. They clean woodlands and the river. A weekly rural market allows local producers to sell directly. This provides certainty about origin and processing.
Parco Lura faces challenges. Water quality is a primary concern. The stream Lura is often a colored and stinking brooklet. It sometimes overflows and floods towns. The Consorzio Parco Lura seeks the causes and suggests solutions.
Buildings around Parco Lura exacerbate these issues. Morainic basins have been filled with warehouses. The city discharges more water into drains. This depletes water bearing layers and pollutes the river. Existing sewer networks struggle to handle sewage quantities.
The goal is to restore water to the river in dry periods. The goal is to detain it during heavy rains. This requires resources, competence, and good will.
Parco Lura acts as an ecological corridor. It links Groane Regional Park and Pineta di Appiano G.le e Tradate Regional Park. This corridor enables animal movement and biodiversity.
The stream Lura springs in Bizzarrone. It flows for 35 km to join the river Olona. It shapes the environment. The Region of Lombardia plans flood control systems. They avoid floods and safeguard the environment.
The vegetation hosts diverse animals. Birds like sparrows, robins, and birds of prey thrive. Mammals include foxes, hedgehogs, and squirrels. Woods feature locust trees and British oaks. Hazelnut trees and ferns enrich the underwood.
Parco Lura’s landscape has glacial origins. Morainic cirques mark the ice age’s maximum expansion. The stream Lura has carved its course through moraines.
In the past, the stream Lura sustained inhabitants. Post-World War II, factories polluted the water. Recovery efforts are underway. A clean watercourse with aquatic life is the aim.
Parco Lura is a testament to recovery. It shows a commitment to the environment. The Consorzio Interprovinciale di Risanamento del Bacino del Torrente Lura formed in 1975. They aim to recover the stream.
Lura Park is a green corridor. It connects protected areas. It allows animals to move and promotes biodiversity.
Take a walk and listen to the crickets. Enjoy the silence of the valley at Parco Lura.