Oasi Faunistica dei Laghetti

The Laghetti oasis at Porto Potenza Picena developed from former gravel workings near the Adriatic coast. Water-filled excavations became wetland habitats, giving an industrial landscape a different ecological role.

Why it matters

The lakes provide habitat for resident and migratory waterbirds. Their position along the Adriatic contributes to a network of coastal wetlands used during migration and wintering. Dune vegetation adds another habitat associated with the coastal environment.

What to notice

Open water, vegetated margins and the surrounding coastal plain form the main elements of the landscape. The shape of the lakes recalls their origin as excavated basins rather than untouched natural lagoons. The habitats that developed after extraction ceased give the former workings their ecological importance.

Context and history

The site's modern history links gravel extraction with later natural colonisation. Its floristic importance received regional recognition in 1997. Within the wider territory of Potenza Picena, the oasis introduces a coastal conservation landscape alongside the historic hill town and agricultural countryside.