Italy has officially established its 25th national park. After years of anticipation and debate, the Matese National Park is now a reality. The timing is no coincidence—it reflects the deeper meaning behind this decision: to safeguard a vast green landscape by recognizing its immense ecological, scenic, and cultural value.

The park covers over 880 square kilometers (about 340 square miles) of mountains, forests, and lakes, spanning 52 municipalities across the regions of Campania and Molise. This land, where nature has quietly endured for centuries, is now formally recognized as a heritage worth preserving—from the limestone peaks of Mount Miletto and Mount Gallinola to the shimmering waters of Lake Matese.