From Quarry to Biodiversity: An Israeli–Italian Dialogue in the Heart of Valpolicella

On 18 October 2026, I had the pleasure of welcoming a group of landscape architects from Israel to discover a remarkable place in our valley: Parco Valpolicella Biodiversity.

There are places that tell us how a landscape can be transformed. Here in Valpolicella, among vineyards, olive groves and wooded hills, one such story began where the land had been shaped by decades of quarrying.

On a beautiful October day, twelve landscape architects from Berabim Landscape Architecture, an Israeli studio based in Binyamina, came to explore this story with me.

Their visit was part of a professional journey to Italy, where they were looking for inspiration for the rehabilitation of a mining area.

It was a special opportunity to share an example from our territory and to reflect together on a question that concerns us all: how can we give new life to a landscape once its industrial purpose has ended?

A landscape with a second life

Parco Valpolicella extends over approximately 50 hectares between Fumane and Marano di Valpolicella, in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica region.

For many years, limestone and marl were extracted here for the Cementirossi cement works in Fumane. After quarrying ended, the area became the subject of an ambitious environmental restoration project. Cementirossi made the land available, and the rehabilitation was designed by Co.Ge.V., a cooperative specialising in the management of green spaces.

Beginning in the 2000s and continuing for around twenty years, the project gradually created the conditions for a new natural environment to develop.

Some 50,000 plants belonging to 60 species were introduced, alongside a variety of habitats: woodland, ponds, dry grasslands and wet meadows.

Today, walking through the park, it is possible to appreciate both the scale of the transformation and the patience behind it. The landscape has become a mosaic of environments, each offering different opportunities for life.

Designing for biodiversity

As we explored the park, our conversation turned to the choices that make ecological restoration possible: the shape of the land, the management of water, the selection of vegetation and the relationship between different habitats.

The presence of both dry and wet areas is particularly valuable. Ponds and their surrounding vegetation provide important habitats for amphibians and other wildlife, while open meadows, shrubs and woodland support different communities of plants and animals.

According to the park association, the area is home to 55 species of birds, seven amphibian species, seven reptile species and eleven mammal species, as well as numerous invertebrates.

The paths allow visitors to discover this diversity while learning to observe the landscape with care. The Biodiversity Bridges project has also contributed to the creation of a biodiversity trail, connecting environmental education with the experience of being outdoors.

For me, this is one of the park’s most important messages: protecting nature also means helping people to know it, appreciate it and feel responsible for its future.

A shared vision across different landscapes

The encounter with Berabim was particularly meaningful because the studio has worked on several projects involving the rehabilitation of former quarries in Israel.

At Shkhoret Quarry, near Eilat, Berabim’s landscape design included two reservoirs to help manage floodwater, as well as viewpoints from which visitors can experience the surrounding desert landscape.

At Majd al-Krum, the studio transformed a former quarry into The Vineyard Garden, a public park conceived for the local community and for people exploring the area on foot or by bicycle. Stone and the site’s geological character became central elements of the design.

Another project, near Revivim and Bir Hadaj, brings together quarry and stream rehabilitation with attention to the needs and daily life of the local Bedouin community.

These projects show how restoration can bring together ecology, water, geological memory and the people who live nearby. The climates and landscapes of Israel and Valpolicella are very different, yet the exchange revealed questions that can be shared across borders.

Wine, land and responsibility

At Tenuta Santa Maria Valverde, our work as winegrowers is closely connected to the landscape that surrounds us. Vineyards are part of a wider living environment, alongside woods, olive trees, dry-stone walls, wildlife and water.

The park reminds us that caring for this environment requires a long-term vision. It takes knowledge, collaboration and time—but it can create a legacy for the generations who will come after us.

Sharing a glass of Valpolicella at the end of the visit was a lovely way to celebrate that connection: a moment to bring together nature, professional curiosity and the culture of our territory.

Thank you to Yael and the Berabim team for their interest, their thoughtful questions and the opportunity to see our landscape through their eyes. I hope that this visit will be the beginning of a lasting exchange of ideas—and perhaps one day we will have the pleasure of discovering their restored landscape in Israel.

Ilaria

Tenuta Santa Maria Valverde