Mount Toraggio and Mount Pietravecchia S.C.I.
The landscape, rugged and wild, is characterized by high elevations with alpine scenery, abysses, caves and vertical walls in contrast with cultivated fields and olive groves at lower levels.
From the geological point of view the territory presents a variety of rock formations such as marly limestone, limestone nummulites, marly clay flysch.
Furthermore, there are some outstanding karstic caves (Melosa's and Rugli's caves).From the botanical point of you, the exceptional site's interest is due to the close contact between the alpine habitat and the Mediterranean scrubland (juniper and holm oak) which, because of the particular micro climate, gets to high altitudes (1000m).
The flora presents a really high number of endemic species, of glacial wrecks, of orchids: the Campanula savadia of exceptional interest, the only Ligurian population of Juniperus thurifera and there are still rare species like the Euphorbia valliniana, the Moehringia lebrunii and the Thymelaea dioica.
The flora's variety also includes: the Lilium pomponium, the Lilium martagon, the Aquilegia bertolonii, the Viola valderia, the Saxifraga callosa, the Saxifraga coclearis, the Fritillaria involucrata.
The fauna is also rich both in birds, mammals and amphibians.
We can find up to fifty birds of community importance such as Pyrrochorax pyrrochorax, Corvus corax, Aquila chrysaetos and Tetrao tetrix tetrix.
Among the amphibians it is worth mentioning the Spelomontes strinatii and among the mammals the Mustela timidus and the Microtus nivalis.
Among the invertebrates, it is important to name the coleopteran Haptoderus nicaeensis and the flashy butterfly Papilio alexanor, only to be found in few areas of the Maritime Alps in Liguria.