Geological, seismic and soil survey

The rocks in the garden

The rocks in the garden are a significant part of our geological heritage and offer the most eloquent testimony of that history which, starting around 250 million years ago, led to the formation of the Apennines, the Po plain and the Adriatic coast.
Monte Modino Sandstone Monte Modino Sandstone

This rock forms the two highest peaks in our Apennines, Mount Cimone (2165 m) and Mount Cusna (2120 m).

Groppo del Vescovo Limestone Groppo del Vescovo Limestone

This rock outcrops in many areas of the Emilian Apennines, especially between Parma and Reggio Emilia and it represents a significant element of the geological structure of the Apennines.

Helminthoides Flysch Helminthoides Flysch

The term “flysch”, coined in the Alps, is derived from German Swiss dialect and means “slipping rock”; Helminthoides are the strange “patterns” sometimes present on the surface of the flysch layers.

Triassic gypsum Triassic gypsum

Evaporitic rocks, similar to those described, can be found from Morocco all the way to Arabia, as well as in America and China. Similar environments and conditions to those which saw the formation of “Triassic Gypsum” exist today in the Red Sea and in “closed” seas like the Dead Sea and Death Valley.

Messinian Gypsum Messinian Gypsum

Its unique crystalline structure gives this rock a lunar appearance, which is why it is referred to as selenitic gypsum or selenite. The city of Bologna has strong links with this stone, which was traditionally used in large square blocks for the construction of the most important buildings during the Roman empire. The first ring of city walls around Bologna, built in the 3rd century A.D., was erected using blocks of gypsum: the “Selenite Walls”.

Marnoso-arenacea turbidites Marnoso-arenacea turbidites

This sandstone, known as Pietra Serena, has long been used in the construction of various articles, from rural houses and buildings to bridges and support structures, all man-made elements that blend harmoniously with the surrounding natural landscape

Bismantova and S. Leo sandstone Bismantova and S. Leo sandstone

Dante was the first person to draw attention to the similarity between the Bismantova and San Leo crags, which stand a great distance apart yet share a common origin, and he linked the two in his Divine Comedy: “On Sanleo’s road / Who journeys, or Noli low descends, / Or mounts Bismantua’s height, must use his feet; / But here a man had need to fly, I mean” (Purgatory, IV, 25-27).

Ophiolites Ophiolites

Their dark greenish-black or sometimes reddish brown colour makes these rocks stand out from their surroundings, so much so that fascinating legends have grown up around them, with the devil nearly always playing a starring role

Palaeozoic granite Palaeozoic granite

The most significant granite outcrops in the Region are found at Rombecco, in the upper Baganza valley, nestling amidst a stunning mountain landscape. The area has been declared a geosite, namely a place of great importance for the geology of Emilia-Romagna.

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published on 2011/12/30 17:20:00 GMT+2 last modified 2018-11-22T11:09:02+02:00

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