The Valle Camonica UNESCO World Heritage site

Rock art in Valle Camonica, Italy’s first UNESCO Site

The thousands of rock engravings in Valle Camonica represent an unrivalled trail of history in the world, spread throughout the eight parks established in 1979 as Italy’s first World Heritage Site!

It is UNESCO Site No. 94 “Rock Art of Valle Camonica”, which protects the best-known and most important Italian prehistoric evidence discovered in 1909, when Brescian geographer Walther Laeng gave news of the discovery of two engravings on two boulders near Cemmo. It was a unique and valuable find, telling of the interaction between mankind and the environment since prehistoric times and earning Valle Camonica the title “The Valley of Signs”.

The engravings were made from the end of the Upper Paleolithic (about 10,000 years ago) until the end of the 1^st millennium B.C., continuing until medieval and modern times by the Romans who conquered the valley.

Over 180 localities scattered over 24 municipalities preserve these extraordinary documents: while walking through the parks, it is possible to admire hunters, warriors and farmers, chariots and plows, horses and much more on the rock, for a journey in which art is intertwined with history and religion.

The eight parks of the UNESCO rock engravings in Valle Camonica

The engravings can be seen along the entire Valle Camonica and can be visited in the eight dedicated archaeological parks:

• Lago Moro Luine and Monticolo Supra-Municipal Park – Darfo Boario Terme;
• Archaeological Park of Asinino-Anvola –Ossimo;
• Rock Engraving Natural Reserve of Ceto, Cimbergo, and Paspardo – Ceto;
• Naquane Rock Engraving National Park – Capo di Ponte;
• National Archaeological Park of Massi di Cemmo – Capo di Ponte;
• Municipal Archaeological Park of Seradina-Bedolina – Capo di Ponte;
• Municipal Archaeological and Minerary Park – Sellero;
• “Coren delle Fate” Multi-thematic itinerary – Sonico.

Some are widely known historical parks (like the one in Capo di Ponte, established in 1955), whereas others are more recent, as in the case of the parks in Seradina-Bedolina (2005) and Sonico (2007).

The common thread is the presence of prehistoric traces of international importance. Some of these are very detailed engravings which provide precious information about spirituality and everyday life of our ancestors in Valle Camonica.

UNESCO in Valle Camonica: the museum

In Capo di Ponte’s historic center, in Via S. Martino 7, you will find the National Museum of Prehistoric Valle Camonica (MUPRE). It complements the rock engraving collection with a display of gravestones, rocks, and everyday objects.

More than 50 stelae and historiated boulder-menhirs can be seen in its rooms, as well as sections devoted to material culture and the history of archaeological discoveries in Valle Camonica.

Visit MUPRE’s official website to see the opening hours.

Useful information

For all details and more information, visit the website vallecamonicaunesco.it.