pliocene rampart nature reserve

Between the towns of Sasso Marconi, Monzuno and Pianoro, there is a majestic wall of sandstone, 15 km long. The reserve stretches across four valleys, the Setta, Savena, Zena and Idice, culminating in the ridges of Monte Adone, Rocca di Badolo and Monte Rosso. This unique setting and extraordinary landscape are protected by the Pliocenic Rampart Nature Reserve, an unusual sandstone landscape of great interest to paleontologists. The sandstone conformations found in the Reserve are evidence that there was a marine gulf here during the Pliocene period, when the Po plain was submerged by the sea. The rise and fall of the water level led to the cyclical sedimentation of sand, while the raising of the Apennines has taken these rocks to altitudes of more than 600 m, resulting in erosion, weathering and the uniquely shaped towers, walls and ravines. Embedded in the rocks, you can also see many fossilised molluscs and bivalves.