As is always the case, opportunities for cultural enrichment start from the passion of the individual.
The beautiful collection of the Museum of Minerals and Fossils, which, in the basement of the Hotel S. Marco in Pradella, can be freely visited and admired, is no exception.
Antonio Pizio is the passionate protagonist of the birth of this display and the custodian of its preservation.
Years of walking, especially in caves and mines, have allowed the discovery of multicolored stones and fossils of very ancient origin that have now found a home in shiny showcases.
Finding them must not have been easy: to unearth minerals one does not have to count steps and hours of searching.
Year after year, however, the collection, which has gained official recognition from the Orobie Park and the support of the local Mountain Community, has grown and well over 2,000 pieces have been abundantly passed.
The collection is a real attraction for the Scalve Valley, and annually, in addition to individual visitors, it opens its doors to school groups approaching 2,000 attendees.
What fascinates is the vision of unexpectedly colored rocks and Antonio Pizio’s ability to tell their story starting with news about their discovery, which occurred mainly in the Schilpario and Presolana tunnels.
Playing the lion’s share are pieces of germinated aragonites that, found in Schilpario, turn out to be unique in rarity and beauty.
So are the Adamello tourmalines or the fluorites recovered in the mining tunnels of Zogno.
For the fossil sector, a nautiloid that is as much as 240 million years old stands out as extraordinary.
Therefore, an inanimate world that always knows how to fascinate and amaze those who have the opportunity to observe it closely…a world made of rocks that still know how to give emotions.