Mele Grove

2 Minutes of reading

The small Mele grove is located to the northwest of the town center, and urban expansion in that direction has almost absorbed it, turning it into a suburban area with villas, some of which are inhabited year-round.

Boschetto di Mele

The grove takes its name from the district where it is located. On the 1:25,000 IGM maps, the area is identified as “Acqua di Mele.” The toponym “Mele,” documented since the 17th century, may have been given to the district due to the widespread cultivation of sugarcane, once called “cannaméle.” However, this has not yet been confirmed. This cultivation required a large amount of water, which could have been supplied by the Ferla stream. 

This stream flows into the grove and exits under the name Paradiso-Deliella stream, cutting the grove in two and shaping the entire district with its meanders. Although today it is almost dry, until the 1950s the stream had a considerable flow, even in summer, to the point of becoming a swimming area for residents.

The Mele grove originated from the need to reclaim a particularly marshy area identified as malarial in the early 20th century. After World War II, as had already been done during the Fascist period, eucalyptus trees were planted in the Nisseno area, and therefore also in Delia, due to their ability to absorb more water than other plants. 

However, eucalyptus is an Australian species, unsuited to the local territory and climate, and it does not allow for the development of undergrowth. For this reason, the Forestry Inspectorate began a program to replace the eucalyptus trees in the grove with native species. In recent decades, the area has been equipped with several stone barbecues, allowing local residents to enjoy outings and outdoor meals.

You might also be interested in...