Timpa di Acireale

It is a tectonic area of regional importance with plant formations of significant natural value, in a heavily anthropized and urbanized territory. The importance of the site, despite its high degree of human impact and relative degradation, lies in representing the wooded strip at a lower altitude of the eastern side of Mount Etna. It represents a remnant of the mythical “Bosco di Aci,” which still covered a wide strip of the eastern slope of Mount Etna in the early 19th century. These remnants currently represent the only natural areas where a portion of the richer and diversified wildlife of the foothills are of Mount Etna has been preserved. It is significant as refuge sites for numerous vertebrate species that would have already disappeared from the entire area. It still preserves a significant portion of the invertebrate fauna of the foothill forests of Mount Etna, including numerous endemics and rare species that are highly localized. The strategic importance of the site for biodiversity conservation is therefore quite evident.