Lessinia and the Park

Source: https://www.lessinia.verona.it/myportal/CML67/vivere/parco_lessinia

Geographical Overview

The Lessinia region spans over 820 km² between the provinces of Verona and Trento. Geographically, it is located in the southeastern part of the Alpine chain, within the Venetian Prealps. Its boundaries are well defined: to the west by the glacial valley of the Adige River, to the north by the deep incision of the Val dei Ronchi, and to the south by the urban centers and agricultural areas of the Veronese plain. These southern lowlands gently rise into the hilly ridges that overlook the main valleys. The eastern boundary, less clearly marked, follows the ridge separating the Alpone Valley from the Chiampo Valley in the province of Vicenza.

From the flat foothill areas to its peaks, Lessinia can be divided into three distinct landscape zones, each recognizable by particular natural and human features:

The foothill and hilly zone (up to 600–800 meters), characterized by widespread cultivation of vines, olives, and cherry trees;
The mid-mountain zone (between 800 and 1200 meters), home to the main settlements and most of the traditional Lessinian contrade (rural hamlets);
The high pasture zone (from 1200 meters up to the eastern peaks exceeding 1800 meters), defined by over a hundred alpine dairies (malghe) and dense forests of beech and fir that cover the steepest slopes.

A close observation reveals a fourth subzone, not defined by elevation but by unique features: the area of vaj and valleys. These are narrow ravines and hollows where the thickest vegetation of the Lessini Mountains can be found. Although these woodlands are not “natural” in the strictest sense—having been used for centuries for firewood and charcoal production—they are where local fauna has been best preserved and able to thrive.

Emerging from the high pastures, the vaj of Anguilla, Falconi, and Marciora cut through the mountains and flow into the broad Val Pantena. Larger valleys stretch from the mountains to the plains, like Val d’Illasi or Val Squaranto, or descend from the hills, such as the valleys of Fumane, Marano, and Negrar to the west, and Mezzane, Tramigna, and Alpone to the east.

Since 1990, the steep slopes of these ravines, much of the high pasture zone, and certain areas with notable natural value have been part of the Lessinia Regional Natural Park, which spans just over 100 km² between the provinces of Verona and Vicenza.

Geology

The Main Dolomite (220–210 million years ago) forms the base of the entire prealpine outcrop of the Lessini, surfacing mainly along the deep valleys of Val dei Ronchi, the Adige Valley, and Val d’Illasi.

The Grey Limestone Group (200–185 million years ago), divided into several formations, is rich in bivalve fossils, including the well-known lithiotis, which are easily visible in various parts of the plateau. This formation also features dinosaur footprints, contemporaneous with those found in Rovereto, especially on the eastern slopes of Bella Lasta near the Valle di Revolto.

The Oolitic Limestones (185–175 million years ago) are composed of carbonate deposits mixed with fossil debris from ancient coral reef environments.

A long geological phase from 175 to 135 million years ago saw the formation of what is perhaps Lessinia’s most iconic geological layer: the Rosso Ammonitico Veronese. This medium-hard, compact rock is rich in ammonite fossils—extinct cephalopods that thrived in the shallow seas of that era.

In Lessinia, the erosion of Oolitic Limestone and Rosso Ammonitico layers by water and weather has created remarkable natural monuments such as the Ponte di Veja and the Covolo di Camposilvano, along with karst formations like dolines, sinkholes, caves, and rock cities. Among the most famous is the Valle delle Sfingi (“Valley of the Sphinxes”) near Camposilvano.

Later, between 135 and 90 million years ago, the Maiolica (or Biancone) was deposited in deep marine environments. This whitish, flint-rich rock formation defines the gently rolling highlands of the plateau and contains remains of ancient diatoms.

Between 90 and 70 million years ago, layers of Scaglia (Variegated and Red) were deposited, colored pink to red due to iron oxides. This formation, found mostly in the central-western part of Lessinia, includes a special section known as Lastame Calcareo, still actively quarried and processed today.

Finally, Paleocene and Eocene limestones (white to yellowish, with loosely bound stratigraphy) emerge in many hilly areas of Lessinia. Near Bolca, on the northeastern edge between Verona and Vicenza, these layers contain exceptionally preserved fossil fish and other organisms that have been extracted for centuries.

Completing Lessinia’s geological picture are basaltic volcanic rocks from the Paleocene, particularly visible in parts of Valpolicella and more prominently in the valleys of eastern Lessinia, where they strongly characterize the Alpone and Chiampo valleys.