The Faggeta Vetusta of Cozzo Ferriero, in the Pollino National Park, was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2017 and extends into the municipality of Rotonda (PZ). 

An old forest is an ecosystem characterized by the presence of trees of old age, which can therefore be found at the end of the life cycle. The ancient forests represent the highest expression of naturalness in our territories. In fact, thanks to the absence of the action of the man, the trees are able to complete all their life cycle until death, thus reaching the maximum possible age to which in the fertile places are associated remarkable dimensions.
An old forest is a dynamic system in which plants grow, reproduce and die of "natural death", competing for resources, but also cooperating with each other. In an old forest, many generations of trees with age-old differences can be in close contact with each other in places where dying centuries-old trees are close to young seedlings.
Overall, the ancient forest appears with a particularly articulated structure in which trees of various sizes and seedlings mix in the space in a seemingly chaotic way. However, analyzing the history of the old trees, we discover that over the centuries they have passed through the 4 phases that make up the structural cycle. The duration of a complete cycle can vary on average between 300-500 years.

The beech forest of Cozzo Ferriero has an extension of about 70 hectares and is spread over an almost flat area at about 1,700 m. In this area there are monumental beech trees that have exceeded 400 years, trees of various sizes and dead stems still standing and on the ground - typical of old beech forests - which the absence of anthropic activity for a long time has preserved, giving rise to a complex forest rich in biodiversity.