The Fossilised Forest of Dunarobba A unique natural monument
The Dunarobba Fossil Forest first came to light towards the end of the 1970s during quarrying to extract clay for bricks used in construction. The fifty or so vast conifer trunks that are currently visible are an exceptionally rare example of plants dating between two and three million years ago, during the Pliocene Epoch. Much of the forest still lies buried by sediment but from what we can see it is possible to ascertain that the climate at that time was substantially warmer than it is today.
It is reasonable to suppose that, on account of the trunks being preserved in their upright living positions and because the wood has retained much of its original characteristics, the forest was continually and gradually buried under the sediments of a marshy area near a large lake.
The Centro di Paleontologia Vegetale, adjacent to the fossilised forest, was opened at the end of the 1990s with a view to supporting research on the forest and to offer educational programmes for schoolchildren.
The centre provides information, tickets and guides for visitors, with guided tours included in the entrance fare. The upper floor of the centre contains an exhibition featuring a reconstruction of the forest and the fauna that inhabited this area around two million years ago, along with a series of fossilised remains of mammals and malacofauna that have been unearthed in the surrounding area.
Information and visits :
Centro di Paleontologia Vegetale della Foresta Fossile di Dunarobba
