Scheduled dates: August 5th - 11th 2012

Foppe di Nadro has an unusual concentration of richly carved rocks. The iconography of the area, extremely varied and of very high quality, has not been completely studied yet.

Among the most important rock art examples there are wonderful scenes and symbols from the Iron age - like the famous 'Rosa Camuna' -, many instances of praying figures ('oranti') and a unique collection of Copper Age images dating back to the III millenium BC.

Campanine, like Foppe di Nadro, constitutes a portion of the biggest protected area existing nowadays in Valcamonica:,the Natural Rock Art Reserve of Ceto, Cimbergo, Paspardo. the area is located on a slope between 400 and 800 meters above sea level. The steep trail crossing it is dotted here and there by small flat plots of land marked off by vertical rocky cliffs. Inside the area 102 engraved rocks dating back thousands of years has been identified. The range of prehistoric iconography, though mainly represented by pictures from the Iron Age, has here several clearly distinct features and subjects, while the thousands of Middle Ages engravings make Campanine the richest medieval rock art site in Europe.

Naquane was the first park to be established in 1955 and it is one of the most important and famous rock art area within the UNESCO site. There are 104 engraved rocks in the park. The rock art on display here have its origin between the Neolithic (V-IV millennium b.C.) and the Iron age (I millennium b.C.) and bear some of the most famous Valcamonica rock images, like the big "Etruscan warriors", the deer-god Kernunnos, the many building figures, the four-wheeled wagons, the deer-hunting scenes, the mysterious "palette" (shovel) symbols.

Sottolaiolo is a small glacial terrace with a wonderful view on the lower valley. On its rocks three exceptional subjects can be observed: the 'Rosa Camuna', symbol of the Lombardia Region, a peculiar type of axes from the late Iron age and a wonderful big warrior with spear and shield.

In the In Vall area, on a single rock there are more than 700 figures and other subjects typical of the many sub-areas of Paspardo. Amongst the more incredible and fascinating carvings there are tall, big warriors with wide rectangular shields and long spears (some of them over 1 mt tall!), perhaps images of gods or mighty ancestors.

The National Park of Cemmo's Boulders comprise a very rich archaeological site with remains covering almost 5 millenia of human presence. In this place Valcamonica rock art was firstly identified at the beginning of the XX century. One of the main features of the Park is represented by the incredible carvings visible on the vertical faces of two huge boulders fallen from the hanging cliff during prehistoric times. The images shows weapons, animals and cosmic symbols and has been dated to the Copper Age along the many other carved stelae that have been uncovered in recent archaeological excavations.

Open to the public only from 2005, the Park of Seradina-Bedolina is composed by two areas with an extreme density of engraved rocks (up to now more than 160 have been identified). In the Bedolina area researches started from the '30s have brought to light a lot of 'topographical' compositions commonly addressed as 'maps'. These are particularly complex representations, generally made of rectangular elements filled up by rows of small holes (cup-marks) and linked together to form puzzling big networks. Are they reproductions of the surrounding landscape? Questions and hypothesis never cease to flutter everyone who tries to grasp this encrypted messages from the past...

Previously unknown rock art pop up every year during researches and archaeological fieldworks. The Coren di Redondo area has been uncovered only in 2009 and bears surprisingly new carvings showing 'maps', musical instruments (horns), an exceptional small chariot pulled by horses and the usual repertoire of warriors and animals. Walking on forgotten paths through abandoned woods, this trip will bring back the enjoyment of discovering the rock art in its almost natural environment. A unique opportunity to experience the rock art phenomenon in all its spatial extension and consequent complex management.

Quite surprisingly, given its distance from the village of Pescarzo and Capo di Ponte, the Pià d'Ort rock art area was the first site discovered after the first mention of the Cemmo Boulder's carving in 1914. Its wide viewshed upon the Middle Valcamonica and famous but rarely visited images (big 'maps', rose camune, ploughing scenes, warriors, animals, etc.) made the place a perfect destination for a one-day trekking dedicated to lovers of the rock art phenomenon.

Sellero bears the northernmost figurative rock art site of Middle Valcamonica.

Unusually engraved on the hard local schist bedrock there are several kinds of subjects: warriors, the biggest 'rosa camuna' known amongst Valcamonica rock art, oversized human figures possibly comparable to deities of Celtic influence. The site shows that the carving traditions was clearly a common cultural treat thorughout the valley and did not depended by the existence of 'suitable' smooth bedrock in the village neighborhood. Rock art was a necessity for the Valcamonica communities and probably everyone had its own carving area.

Created in 1978, the Park of Grosio and the Rupe Magna aims to safeguard and develop the rich archaeological, architectural, historical and natural heritage of the Dosso dei Castelli area.

Famous in this site is the Rupe Magna, a unique huge rock surface with more then 5000 engravings! The hundreds human beings are mixed up with thousands of cup-marks and other symbols, making this place one of the most fascinating spot among the rock art of the Alps.

The findings on Luine hill suggest that the area has been used over a long time by prehistoric groups of people that used it as reference point and a landmark for their religious rituals and their cultural identity. Among the most intriguing subjects there are the supposed most ancient figures of Valcamonica rock art, the hundreds images of weapons dating to Copper Age and Bronze Age, the mysterious symbols made with rectangles and circles and, finally, the camunian inscriptions of Late Iron Age.

Archeocamuni

Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 17.30 am

Tel 0039 0364 42212

Email: info@archeocamuni