The Naturalistic Oasis of Mulino Cervara is a small nature reserve (25 hectares) that protects a marshy environment of exceptional beauty and represents an access point to the Regional Natural Park of the River Sile, one of the most important resurgence rivers in Europe. The Oasis is located in Santa Cristina di Quinto di Treviso and has the shape of an island between the courses of the Sile river and the Piovega stream.
Inside there are numerous spring springs (in Treviso dialect: fontanassi) through which the waters that feed the swamp emerge from the subsoil and contribute to giving life to the course of the Sile. The Oasis is a biotope of high naturalistic value classified as a Site of Community Interest (S.I.C.) for the refuge of wild fauna and the conservation of the spontaneous flora of the Sile. Birds undoubtedly represent the most striking inhabitants of the Cervara Oasis, and among them the place of honor is occupied by the herons. The Oasis is home to one of the most important heronries in Veneto, where about 200 Gray Heron, Night Heron and Little Egret nests have been recorded. To these are added the occasional, but increasingly frequent, presence of Cattle Egrets and Great White Herons.
Two environments coexist in the Oasis: the reed marsh and the wet forest. The reed area (or fragmiteto), occupies about 1/3 of the protected area, and can be visited almost exclusively with the use of flat-bottomed boats. There are also other plant associations linked to running water or resurgence springs, where there are still large marisceto areas characterized by the presence of Falasco. The pedestrian paths of the Oasis, on the other hand, allow you to visit the wet riparian forest consisting of Alder, Poplar, White Willow, Gray Willow and Willow. Where the soil becomes drier, some isolated specimens of Farnia and Olmo appear. An interesting variety of plants typical of wetlands can be admired along the paths of the Botanical Garden, some of which are increasingly rare such as the fibrine clover and the flowering rush. In the botanical garden, other plant associations can be observed such as the rush and mills, respectively representing the vegetation of peat bogs and wet meadows.
Finally, the canals, along which the paths of the Oasis wind, host the submerged plants that have always contributed to giving the Sile the nickname of Green River, such as the Water Buttercup, the Callitriche and some species of Potamogetus, among whose elegant fronds numerous brown trout and pike swim undisturbed.
In the Middle Ages, the village of Cervara was located on the edge of a vast wooded area, whose toponym is most likely linked to the word “deer”, testifying to the richness of wild life in these lands, which at that time were mostly occupied from swamps and woods. In fact, according to a land registry of the Trevisana of 1486, in Costamala (another town near Quinto di Treviso) and in Cervara there were two woods of 100 fields each. Of the wood of Cervara in the eighteenth century there are 24 fields of “oak and sweet wood to be ashed” owned by the nuns of the monastery of San Paolo in Treviso.
Of the Mulino di Cervara there are historical references that document its activity as early as 1325. Since then, the Mill has gone through the last seven centuries, transforming itself according to the needs of the work and techniques of the milling art, remaining productive until the early 1900s. when it was gradually abandoned. With the passage of time, the plants, wheels and everything else that constituted the internal equipment were destroyed, so that the mill was used as a warehouse and stable, until the Municipality of Quinto bought it in the early 1980s and restored it together with the oasis in the early 90s with the help of some private sponsors. Since then, the oasis has become a hotbed of cultural, artistic and tourist initiatives. In Cervara, in fact, all year round it is possible to take guided tours for individuals or school groups, boat excursions, corporate and associative training events are organized in the conference room and finally various cultural events are organized there such as: “Oasis in the night”, ” Theater in the villa ”,“ Talking about nature ”and“ Sundays of taste ”.
Useful information
Timetables:
The Oasis is open to the public all year round:
• Saturday 14:00 – 17:00 autumn / winter
- 19:00 spring / summer
• Sundays and holidays 9:30 – 17:00 autumn / winter - 19:00 spring / summer
Attention: In case of severe bad weather, the Oasis is not open to the public.
Visiting Regulations
Inside the Oasis, our Visitors are invited to:
• Access the trails only by foot, leaving the bicycles at the entrance
• Do not go off the marked paths
• Do not damage or remove plants, flowers and fungi
• Do not disturb the animals
• Do not light fires
• Do not leave waste outside the special containers
• Do not make shouts with your voice, radio or musical instruments
• Dogs are allowed only if kept on a leash and medium and large sized specimens must use a muzzle
Cervara Oasis Via Cornarotta, 50 31055 Quinto di Treviso
