The Torbiere del Sebino (Sebino peat bogs) are a series of bodies of water, small forests, rush stands, and meadows that form a unique habitat in the Province of Brescia. For this reason, they have the highest degree of protection in Italy, with the denomination ‘Riserva Naturale Regionale Orientata delle Torbiere del Sebino’ (Torbiere del Sebino Targeted Regional Nature Reserve), dating to 1984.

This is one of the most extensive wetland areas in the central Po Plain, which makes it particularly valuable because most marshes along the Po were drained to make way for farming and construction, erasing one of the richest ecosystems present in Italy.

The Torbiere del Sebino cover 360 ha. They consist of a part that communicates directly with the lake, called the LAMETTE, and an internal part fed by springs, the small Ri stream, and rainwater, called the LAME. This makes the peat bogs very fragile, given that they are surrounded by very developed areas, but they represent an indispensable refuge for animals and plants that could not live in any other place within a range of many kilometres.

The Reserve is a Wetland of International importance according to the Ramsar Convention, given that it hosts dozens of migratory bird species that find shelter and food here during their intercontinental voyages. One emblematic example are the swallows. Without marshes rich in rushes and insects, they would not be able to face the long trip from the coasts of Northern Africa to Continental Europe.