Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola

Via Rontana

48013 Brisighella (RA)

Municipality: Brisighella

Region: Emilia-Romagna

The open-air geological museum at the former Monticino quarry is near Brisighella, behind the hill of Monticino; it preserves a valuable geological, paleontological and natural heritage, and is in fact a point of reference for the international geology community.  
Fossils of crocodiles, antelopes, rhinoceros, hyenas and monkeys, as old as 5.5 million years, were found in the crevices left open by the quarrying works. The vertical quarry wall clearly shows the gypsum banks, made more conspicuous by the bright selenite crystals formed during the second part of the Messinian (upper Miocene), between 6 and 5.6 million years ago.