National Academy of Agriculture and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna together for the protection of the regional Apennine territory. By "Biodiversity" we generally mean the variety of animal and plant life that guarantees the plurality of living systems on Earth. The Italian Parliament, through Law no. 194/2015 concerning Provisions for the protection and valorization of biodiversity of agricultural and food interest, determined the wealth and invaluable heritage of biodiversity that our country can boast. In this scenario, the Chestnut Orchard of Granaglione, owned by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna, through its educational-scientific hub for the protection of biodiversity, integrated within the "Chestnut Experimental Educational Park", aligns with the purposes of the Legislator by promoting an itinerary of rediscovery and valorization of an important environmental and agricultural resource of the Bolognese territory.
The Biodiversity protection project, curated by the National Academy of Agriculture, is divided into several sections: scientific research, park management in collaboration with the Cooperativa Campeggio Sociale of Monghidoro, dissemination of biological and nutritional knowledge of the chestnut tree and chestnut fruit, and territory valorization. The cultivation of the chestnut tree, so widespread in our Apennines and present since the time of Matilda of Canossa, is cared for and highlighted in the Chestnut Orchard (in the locality of Varano) in Granaglione, today known as the “Chestnut Experimental Educational Park”. The park is closely linked to chestnut biodiversity, from the “traditional chestnut orchard” to the “monumental chestnut orchard” with ancient stumps, from the “experimental chestnut orchard” with fruit grafts to timber, up to the “canniccio” (drying rack) which, respecting tradition, transforms the fruit. Exposure of the slope, soil characteristics, and intercropping with native spontaneous essences contribute to the quality of the chestnut orchard's fruits, whose habitat enriches the soil—composed of poplars, birch, cherry, pine, ferns, broom, blueberries, blackberries, wild strawberries, raspberries, and mushrooms—with good substances. In the experimental fruit sector, there are 14 varieties of chestnut tree, and in the experimental timber sector, there are 5 varieties. The cultivation cycle is completed with the autumn harvest of chestnuts and subsequent processing which, starting from drying, leads to transformation into flour and granulate for craft beer.
The Park is a place that transmits value and memory, through the cyclical phases of harvesting, transformation, and maintenance of its territory. In addition to the processing and harvesting phases of the chestnuts, the park comes alive in the spring and summer season with numerous events, both recreational for the public and, in particular, educational for schools through the trails named "The fruit stumps", "The spring", and "The timber trail" where students can learn about the different stages of the chestnut orchard's life and respect for the environment. The Ministry of Ecological Transition in agreement with the Ministry of Agricultural, Food, and Forestry Policies, with Decree of 31/3/2022 published in the Official Gazette on 18/6/2022, recognized the Experimental Educational Chestnut Orchard of Granaglione as a National Center for the study and conservation of forest biodiversity. The Centers pursue the supply and conservation of forest species and provenances important for safeguarding the biodiversity of an ecologically homogeneous area, as well as the forest ecosystems present, managing specific study activities and conservation methods for forest germplasm of scientific importance and national reference.
Today, the new "National Center for the study and conservation of forest biodiversity" thus confirms the importance of the Granaglione Chestnut Orchard and the activities developed in recent years. Among those that have been underway for some time: the maintenance of the traditional chestnut orchard, the conservation of the fruit germplasm collection (present in 400 plants) and timber collection (present in 150 plants), the maintenance of the fruit chestnut orchard for the production of chestnut flour, beer, and honey, and the protection of the monumental chestnut orchard. Added to these are the recovery of pre-existing buildings in the chestnut orchard, such as the historical traditional drying kiln, used to dry chestnuts intended for beer production, and the restoration of the nearby building complex, now home to the xyloteca (wood library). To these activities is added the innovative advanced research project called “Talking Chestnuts” or “TreeTalker”, funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region and developed by Prof. Riccardo Valentini (member of the panel of winners of the 2007 "Nobel Peace Prize"), through the application of sensors on 48 chestnut trees that collect and transfer important data: environmental and biological parameters on the tree's growth, accurate measurement of water taken from the soil, measurement of the amount of CO2 absorbed and sequestered by the plant, evaluation of leaf color, and the stability state of the tree itself. The collected and processed data thus allow for designing efficient forest management on a large scale, benefiting the entire surrounding environmental system.
The project is also visible on the Fondazione Carisbo website: https://fondazionecarisbo.it/castagneto-didattico-sperimentale-di-granaglione/ Visit the website of the National Center for the study and conservation of forest biodiversity: https://centrobiodiversita-castagnetogranaglione.it/
