
Scientific Museums
“Ardito Desio” Paleontology Museum
Rocca di Cave
Piazza della Torre 11
OPENING HOURS
Saturdays and Sundays 10 am -1 pm and 4 pm – 7 pm
Groups and schools may visit the museum during the week upon request
INFO
Tel +39 329 986 48 26
The Paleontology Museum, situated in a beautiful fortress on the top of the Prenestini mountains, is an “observation tower” of Lazio’s geological time. From the terraces of the fortress you can admire the beautiful view and the geodiversity of the region in a unique landscape that extends over 100 kilometres, from the coast to the centre of the Apennines.
The museum’s itinerary is divided into five rooms dedicated to exploring the main geological events in the history of Lazio through original exhibits, globes, models and audio information. Visitors can learn about the rocks of the territory and the fossils of a coral reef dating back to 100 million years ago. There is an astronomical observatory, a didactic planetarium and a calendar of interesting activities, including excursions to the coral reef and evening observations of the starry sky.
The fossils found in the rocky outcroppings around Rocca di Cave confirm the presence of an ancient coral reef active during the Cretaceous period between 140 and 65 million years ago. These rocks are unique to Lazio. No other place has the remains of so many organisms which have now become the building blocks of these cliffs.
Video
Galleria
Campagna fotografica realizzata nell’ambito del progetto “Oltre Roma” e finanziata dalla Regione Lazio, Avviso Pubblico “La cultura fa sistema 2021”