The protected area was created in 1996 as the regional nature reserve of Guardiaregia-Campochiaro, covering 2187 hectares at the time. It later grew to its present 3135 hectares, nearly a thousand more, and its boundary now runs up against the Matese national park. The entrance is in the Mencaro district, in the municipality of Guardiaregia, province of Campobasso, on the Molise side of the massif.
It is not run by a single body but under an agreement: WWF Italia on one side, the municipalities of Guardiaregia and Campochiaro on the other, the two territories the reserve spreads across. That arrangement is also where its double name comes from.
Our editors' tip
Plan the visit rather than improvise it: 3135 hectares of mountain are not something to take on at random, and it is worth checking in advance with the people who run the oasis which routes are open and which are done with a guide. Walking boots and a few free hours are the minimum; anyone counting on a short stroll may not get far past the car park.