| THE
SEVEN BROTHERS
The name derives from the fact that the main nucleus of the forest
is formed from an area occupied by the Seven Brothers massif,
a small mountain chain with an average height of around 800m,
the tallest point is Punta Ceraxia (1016m).
The summits of the Seven Brothers are separated by incisions
and small, almost orthogonal valleys; the granite structure of
which they are part in turn belongs in turn to a vast outcrop
extending in a more or less continuously throughout Sardinia and
Corsica with a N-S direction for over 400km and in an E-W direction
for 100km.
The Sarrabus, with its marginal position, is not, as far as can
be seen, involved in this  geological
event, and in fact besides granite we find other rocks such as
schist, going back to the saluric era.
In an extremely dry setting such as that offered by the Sardinian
mountains, the presence of water is one of the most fascinating
elements in the Seven Brothers’ forest.
In the rainy season the watercourses do not flow particularly
quickly, except during very intense downpours; the sudden difference
in level, the cascades and waterfalls, natural pools and the granite
land over which they run, often make their flow very fierce.
The ancient forest has been chopped down almost everywhere to
produce charcoal, to create new pasturing and farming or mining
spaces, but in the areas more orographically and climactically
favourable and subject for a long time to environmental manipulation,
the occasional trace of primitive forest has survived, flanked
by a forest areas, which under man’s control is destined
to return to its original look.
 Here
one can drown in the typical Mediterranean wood made up of ilexes,
cork oaks, strawberry trees, heather and myrtles, every species
with its own shade of green; in spring the breezes waft around
a thousand perfumes of the rich undergrowth, represented by numerous
indigenous species, such as Corsican juniper, pink digitalis,
Sardinian and common crocus, false daisies as well as more traditional
bush plants.
Where the environment is wet because of the presence of springs,
several species ferns sprout up, among which royal fern, the maidenhair
among the stretches of mosses and lichens which cover the rocks,
and cyclamens with their characteristic drooping flower.
Despite the presence of the poachers, animal life is also rich
both in quantity and variety. Besides the wild boar which roam
the undergrowth, ploughing the ground with their strong snout,
we find martens, wild cats, loir and ever bigger colonies of Sardinian
deer (cerus elaris).
Moreover, among the birdlife it is possible to hear the typical
drumming of the red-peak or the noisy flight of the wood pigeon,
while the Sardinian partridge is found in gladed areas.
Birds of prey are represented by the awesome golden eagle, buzzard,
goshawk and the ultra-quick peregrine falcon.
A part of this forest , in the period in which the farming penal
colony was active, was exploited with the help of the prisoners
for the production of charcoal. Only the outhouses are left from
this industry, together with a series of paths which penetrate
the thick forest. The majority of these tracks are not traced
out so, for excursionists, the presence of a guide is necessary,
for his/her knowledge of the area and the ability to read maps.
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