“Only the bubbling of water interspersed with the birds singing”: Sebastiano Antonio De Laurentiis, the artist of “Arte Natura”, has summarized into such an harmonious description the charm of the Oasis of Lago di Serranella, a natural reserve established in 1981 where the rivers Sangro and Aventino join. Stretched on a broad area of 300 hectares in the municipalities of Altino, Casoli and Sant’Eusanio del Sangro, the life in this marshland oasis has been so much revitalized in terms of fauna, flora and trees along a few years that it has been listed among the most important and enchanting reserves of the region of Abruzzo and not only.

Its geographical position makes the oasis a favourite place for avifauna migrations, especially for the Adriatic route. Over 250 species passing on the Oasis of Serranella have been counted, among which: ospreys and marsh harriers, black storks, cranes, flamingos, white herons and cormorants regularly passing during winter together with ducks, coots and wading birds. Furthermore, about 70 species make their nest in this heavenly nature, which also hosts different fishes and colourful plants, like willow groves and marsh orchids.

The Oasis of Serranella has been run by WWF since 1987, has got a Tourist Centre and organizes didactic and naturalistic tours also in its botanic garden, nursery, vegetables, legumes and aromatic plants cultivations. Into such an extraordinarily varied biodiversity, two artistic creations of “Arte Natura” by Capobianco have been set to surprise and amaze the public: “Capanno della fertilità” (= “fertility hut”) built with natural materials and the “Collina degli alberi morti” (=”Dead trees hill”) built with huge trunks dug up and put in a line to inspire the visitors to get into direct contact with the unique beauty of this unequalled natural oasis.

[Credits | Text: Ottavio Di Renzo De Laurentis | Translation: Mirella Rapa | Voice and music: Studio Qreate | Photo: Laura Di Biase]