The Matese National Park is officially a reality. With the signing of the decree by Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto, Italy welcomes its 25th national park, established precisely on Earth Day. The protected area covers nearly 88,000 hectares between Campania and Molise, expanding the former Matese Regional Park, active since 2002. The measure, implementing an October 2024 Lazio Regional Administrative Court ruling, comes at the end of a long process of consultation involving the MASE, ISPRA, 52 municipalities, 4 provinces and 2 regions. “The signing affirms in concrete terms the value of our country's biodiversity,” said Minister Pichetto, “The Matese is a treasure chest of nature and culture that enters the list of national parks, opening up to a new vision of development shared with institutions and local communities”.