The stone carvings of Camonica Valley are the greatest complex of rock drawings in Europe with approximately 300.000 figures carved on stone walls. The most of petroglyphs were found in the area of Capo di Ponte where National Park of Naquane was settled in the 1958 because of the findings. It's been the first archaeological site in Italy to become a World Heritage protected by UNESCO in the 1979.
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Valcamonica rock drawings
On the rock walls is drawn the evidence of Camuni's way of life. They lived in this region 8000 years Before Christ approximately between Paleolithic and Roman dominion. The period between 8000 and 6000 BC is the oldest and is marked by figures of animals, especially deers carved through a very simple technique by using basic tools made from siliceous fragments.
Thanks to rock drawings now we know that Camuni switched to farming life in the Neolithic. In fact, human figure becomes the main character and it's represented in the daily life or over religious performances . For example see the drawing of the man with his hands to the sky as well as the two divinities of Sun and Deer. Finally after they learn the art of metal working in the 3000 BC, they start drawing war and hunting scenes in a new dynamic way of storytelling. Drawings of houses, villages and maps dating from the same period, are the evidence of a new lifestyle.
Carving activity stops after Romans presence and a cultural evolution. But evidence is still preserved and gives us the opportunity to walk through an open-air book of past times.
Imagine Copyright: By Luca Giarelli - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening Hours
Archaeological park is open fromWednsday to Saturday: 8.30am to 4.30pm
Sundays and public holidays: 8.30am to 1.30pm
Closings: Mondays, Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Timetables may be changed. It's recommended to contact phone no. +39 036442140 to schedule a visit.
Tickets
Full €6 - Reduced €3
Free entry under 18 and everyone on the first Sunday of every month.
Ticket office closes at half an hour before the time for visits is over.
Tickets purchased at the ticket office of the Park are valid to access MUPRE-Museo Nazionale della Preistoria della Valle Camonica over the following 30 days.
Contacts
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE CARD:
FOUNDATION: VIII-VI centuries BC
CIVILIZATION: ancient populations / Camunni
PROVINCE: Brescia
MANAGEMENT: Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Lombardia
REDISCOVERY: XX century
Valcamonica hotels
Booking.comHow to get here
BY TRAIN
Take the train Brescia-Edolo and get off at Capo di Ponte. Then it's a 20 -minutes walk to the site.
BY CAR
Coming from South: you take motorway A4 and then take the exit Seriate or exit Rovato. Follow the trunk road SS42 "del Tonale e della Mendola" heading to Passo del Tonale as far as Nadro-Ceto, Capo di Ponte, Cimbergo- Paspardo, Siti di Arte Rupestre. Take the exit ramp and keep driving as far as Capo di Ponte. At Capo di Ponte first go past rail station, then at the railroad crossing keep right and finally take the road to Chiesa delle Sante.
From North: at Passo di Aprica or Passo del Tonale go to Edolo and then keep driving on trunk road SS del Tonale e della Mendola heading to Brescia as far as Sellero-Capo di Ponte. Take the exit and keep driving to Capo di Ponte. At Capo di Ponte go past the second roundabout and turn left on via Limit then follow the street signs to Naquane - Chiesa delle Sante.
