Taburnus
Encyclopedia
Monte Taburno, or Taburno Camposauro is a group of mountains in the Apennines
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...

, to the west of Benevento
Benevento
Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...

, central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

.

The highest peak is the Taburno, at 1,393 m. It is separated from the Matese
Matese
The Matese is a chain of mountains in central Italy, central-southern Apennines.-Geography:...

 mountains by the Valle Telesina, while the densely settled Valle Caudina divides Taburno from the Montevergine
Montevergine
thumb|250px|The Sanctuary of Montevergine.The Montevergine, also known as Partenio or Monti di Avella, is a limestone massif in Campania, central Italy, part of the Apennine chain. It is located near Avellino, in the comune of Mercogliano...

 massif.

History

Known as mons Taburnus to the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

, the mountain lay in the territory of Samnium
Samnium
Samnium is a Latin exonym for a region of south or south and central Italy in Roman times. The name survives in Italian today, but today's territory comprising it is only a small portion of what it once was. The populations of Samnium were called Samnites by the Romans...

. The Samnites scored a famous victory over the Roman army in the nearby Caudine Forks in 321 BC.

Details

  • Height 1393 mt above the sea
  • Campania Apennine Mountain chain
  • Taburno Camposauro massif


Taburno Camposauro is an isolated calcareous massif in the Campania Apennine Mountain chain. It is situated exactly to the west of Benevento from which it is few kilometres far and in whose district it completely extends.
The period in which it was formed is the Mesozoic period.
To the north the mount is separated from the Matese mountains by the Telese Valley which is crossed by the Calore river, while to the south it is separated from the Partenio mountains by the Caudin Valley.
The highest peaks are the mounts: Taburno (1393 mt a.s.l.), Camposauro (1390 mt a.s.l.),.), Alto Rotondi (1305 mt a.s.l.),.), Sant'Angelo (1189 mt a.s.l.),), Gaudello (1226 mt a.s.l.),) and Pentime (1168 mt a.s.l.), which are placed in a semicircle thus shaping the Vitulano Valley in the center.

The mount is made up of two limestone blocks separated by the Prata Plan.
Seen from the city of Benevento the profile of the mountain looks like a laying woman with her feet pointing to the Caudin Valley and her head (Pentime) towards the Telese Valley; for this reason it is commonly referred to as the “Samnium’s Sleeping Beauty”.
In spite of some relatively scarcity of rivers the ecosystems of the area are very rich in biodiversity.
The animal species which characterizes the Taburno Mount is the buzzard. There are also the woodpecker, the “Imperial crow”, the robin, some birds similar to sparrows and small mammals.

Flora

In the lower places the vegetation is made up of roverella oaks, above 700 meters’ height it is constituted by maples, hornbeams and ash trees, above 900 meters the beech is the most common tree while, between 1000 and 1100 meters we find the holm oak.
The Taburno Mount has been protected since the “Taburno-Camposauro Natural Park” was constituted (14th September 1994) by the Taburno “Comunità Montana”.
The Taburno Mount us also protected by the Taburno Landscape Plan, which became operative in 1996.
From the top of Taburno you can enjoy the wide panorama of the Caudin Valley, rich in human establishments and closed up, on the opposed side by the Partenio Mount. To the west, where the valley becomes narrower, you can notice a white spot on a mountain side: it is the quarry of Tairano Mount where in 321 a.C. the battle between the Romans and the Samnites (the so-called Battle of the Caudine Forks) took place.
Beyond the Partenio, during some very clear days, it is possible to see the Vesuvio volcano and the Lattari Mountains.


Taburno DOC

Italian wine
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...

, both red, white, rose and sparkling, under the Taburno DOC appellation comes from vineyards in the foothills around the mountains in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...

. Grapes destined for DOC production must be harvested up to a maximum yield
Yield (wine)
In viticulture, the yield is a measure of the amount of grapes or wine that is produced per unit surface of vineyard, and is therefore a type of crop yield...

 of 13 tonnes/hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...

 with the finished wines fermented to a minimum alcohol level of 11%.

Red and rose Taburno is a blend of 40-50% Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...

, 30-40% Aglianico
Aglianico
Aglianico is a black grape grown in the Basilicata and Campania regions of Italy. The vine originated in Greece and was brought to the south of Italy by Greek settlers. The name may be a corruption of Vitis hellenica, Latin for "Greek vine"...

 with up to 30% of other grape varieties (both red and white) permitted to fill in the remainder of the blend. The whites are made from 40-50% Trebbiano
Trebbiano
Trebbiano is the second most widely planted grape in the world. It gives good yields, but makes undistinguished wine at best. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Its high acidity makes it important in Cognac production...

, 30-40% Falanghina
Falanghina
Falanghina, also called Falanghina Greco, is a variety of wine grape of Vitis vinifera, used for white wines. It is considered a characterful ancient grape variety which may have provided a basis for the classical Falernian wine...

 and up to 30% of other local white grape varieties. A sparkling spumante is produced under the Taburno DOC from a minimum 60% blend of Coda di Volpe
Coda di Volpe
Coda di Volpe is a white Italian wine grape variety that has been historically grown in the Campania region around the town of Naples. It is often confused with another white Italian wine grape, Emilia, that share many of the same synonyms as Coda di Volpe....

 and/or Falanghina
Falanghina
Falanghina, also called Falanghina Greco, is a variety of wine grape of Vitis vinifera, used for white wines. It is considered a characterful ancient grape variety which may have provided a basis for the classical Falernian wine...

 with other local white varieties permitted to fill in up to 40% of the blend. Taburno wines labeled as Riserva must attain a minimum alcohol level of 12% and be aged for at least three years prior to release.
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