Val Camonica stretches for almost 90 kilometres, and scattered over hundreds of locations on both sides of this expansive valley are the world’s greatest collections of prehistoric rock drawings. This UNESCO World Heritage Site gives us artistic insight into the culture, pastimes, and interests of the ancient world.

Val Camonica valley, Lombardy, Italy by Bernat Erasmus

The Great Gallery

The Valley lays claim to the most extensive collection of prehistoric petroglyphs on Earth; a rather impressive trophy for a rural region in the Alpine mountains of Italy!

It would seem that the inhabitants of this particular region, for reasons unknown, were intent on documentation and expression through the rock-based art-form. It is recorded that over 140,000 symbols and figures are carved into the Valley’s rocks. This staggering number is thought to have been achieved over a period of 8,000 years, and although UNESCO has formally recognised the previous number of incisions, it is thought that new discoveries raise the total somewhere between 250,000 and 300,000

Subjects of Superstition

The artistic works depict many different themes and subjects, providing an invaluable insight into the thoughts and minds of our creative ancestors.

The subjects of the rock drawings are diverse, and themes give us a glimpse into early agriculture, maps and constellations, as well as mysticism, war and magic! These early drawings are an unprecedented documentation of beliefs, traditions and triumphs.

In some cases, the figures and drawings seem to have been placed with no obvious order or logic, while others have a definite connection.

Visitors can see the showcase of impressive scenes of vibrant dances, historical hunts, ferocious fights, and mystical masterpieces that depict religious rites and ceremonies. These drawings seem to commemorate the culture of times past, however some of them are rather bizarre. The stranger drawings in this vast collection, through archaeologists’ analysis, have been described as less of documentation, and more an expression of ideas and early human thoughts.

Rock drawings, Val Camonica valley, Lombardy, Italy by Bernat Erasmus

A Piece of History

The history of the petroglyphs spans an extra-ordinate amount of time, and many different periods are documented. Making such a discovery would be any historian or archaeologist’s dream!

The first incisions give us a snapshot of a time long before even the Iron Age. While they give us extraordinary pictures of prehistoric customs, the drawings continue throughout history, and even into the modern day! It is thought the custom of rock drawing in this region carried over from generation to generation, even through the Roman and Medieval periods. Interestingly, most of the drawings have been created using similar techniques, even though the tools must have changed somewhat over the timeline.

One amazing scene shows one of the valley’s tribes initiating new females, at a time when they began to meet new people. Their isolation seems to end around 1000 BC, and it was at this time that their art was at its peak. Many battle scenes were carved during this period, and although the tribe was introduced to other members of society – their introductions appear to be rarely friendly!

Conclusion

If any one location has earned its place as a site worthy of world heritage, it is this one.

There is an unparalleled span of ancient and intricate artwork found throughout the rock drawings in Val Camonica. Thousands of people from the world over have already enjoyed this once in a lifetime experience, and have witnessed the site for themselves. Why not count yourself as one of them, and visit the amazing site today?

Author Bio:

An article by Matt Scott who loves writing UNESCO travel articles and anything Italian. If you need to hire a rental car for your trip to the Val Camonica region visit the comparecarrentals.co.uk car rental comparison search engine.

The post UNESCO World Heritage Site: Rock Drawings In Val Camonica | Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.

Màntova is surrounded by the three artificial lakes created during the 12th century. They are Lago Superiore, Lago di Mezzo, and Lago Inferiore. A fourth lake, Lago Pajolo, which once completed a defensive water ring of the city, dried up at the end of the 18th century.

Main Màntova’s sights

• Palazzo Te (1525–1535)
• Palazzo Ducale, famous residence of the Gonzaga family, made up by a number of buildings, courtyards and gardens gathered around the Palazzo del Capitano, the Magna Domus, and the Castle of St. George
• Basilica of Sant’Andrea
• Duomo
• Rotonda di San Lorenzo
• Bibiena Theater
• Church of San Sebastiano
• Palazzo Vescovile (“Bishops Palace”)
• Palazzo degli Uberti
• Torre della Gabbia (“Cage Tower”)
• Palazzo del Podestà (museum of Tazio Nuvolari)
• Palazzo della Ragione with the Torre dell’Orologio (“Clock Tower”)
• Palazzo Castiglioni Bonacolsi
• Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga

View Mantova – centre of the art and education, Italy in a larger map

The post Màntova – centre of the art and education, Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.

The town has two centres: “Città alta” (upper city), a hilltop medieval town, surrounded by 17th century cyclopic defensive walls, and the “Città bassa” (lower city). There are funicular/cable car, roads, and foot-paths between the two parts of the town. Parking spaces are very limited in the upper city.

Città Alta, surrounded by Venetian walls built in the 17th century, forms the historic centre of Bergamo. It is an extremely expensive place to live in, with properties being sold for a minimum of 2,000,000 euro.

Città Alta has numerous places of interest including:

• Cittadella, built by the Visconti in the mid 14th century
• Piazza Vecchia (old square)
• Palazzo della Ragione
• Palazzo Nuovo (Biblioteca Angelo Mai)
• Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major)
• Cappella Colleoni
• The Battistero – an elegant octagonal building dating from 1340
• Duomo or Cathedral of Bergamo
• Rocca (Castle)
• San Michele al Pozzo Bianco
• Museo Civico Archeologico
• Museo di Scienze Naturali Enrico Caffi
• Orto Botanico di Bergamo “Lorenzo Rota” (botanical garden)

View Bergamo – historical city with modern life, Italy in a larger map

The post Bergamo – historical city with modern life, Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Antonis Lamnatos

Lake Como is the most diverse and most attractive lake of all the Italian lakes. It is surrounded by alpine peaks, forested hills and lush vegetation. The mild climate makes ideal conditions for flowering gardens on its banks and many places around the lake are also used as a climatic spa. Lago di Como lies at an altitude of 197 m and the length of its shore is 170 km. The lake is widely popular among tourists especially for the great possibilities for hiking and doing sports. Swimming here is in the summer basically comparable with the sea. Lake is also suitable for scuba diving and windsurfing.

In the vicinity of Lago di Como are lots of interesting places worth visiting. To visit them you can use the roads along the coast or local shipping and ferry transport. The most famous resort on the lake is a town Como.

View Lake Como – one of the most romantic places in Italy in a larger map

The historic center of town is full of the historical monuments and interesting shops. The dominant of the city center is the church Duomo, which was founded in the 14th century. Its construction lasted four centuries and today it features pretty facade. Next to the church you can see the Palazzo Govia, which houses a historical museum of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Another important monument in Como is the Town Hall Broletto dating from the 13th century. Among the rare secular monuments are the Lombard Romanesque churches of San Fedele and Sant ‘Abbondio. All these monuments can be found in the medieval fortifications that surround the city. Como has a wonderful Sant’Agostino port from which you can get to the only island in the lake – Comacina.

The post Lake Como – one of the most romantic places in Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.