The Banned Wood of Palanfrè

The town of Palanfrè is located at the foot of the steep pasture slopes of Costa Pianard, in a very risky position due to the fall of avalanches. To protect the town, since the early 18th century but probably also earlier, the cutting of the beech forest upstream of the houses had been banned (the "Bandi Campestri" in the archives of the municipality of Vernante, dated 1741, are the first written testimony of the state of protection of the forest). Since 1979, the beech forest has been part of the Palanfrè Woods and Lakes Nature Reserve and was then merged, in 1995, into the Maritime Alps Natural Park. The forest, of over 20 hectares, is only touched by the path: despite this, it is possible to admire the majesty of some of its trees.