Foresta pietrificata di Zuri - Soddì, Nature reserve near Soddì, Italy
The petrified forest of Zuri-Soddì is a nature reserve containing fossilized tree remains scattered along the shores and bottom of Lake Omodeo. The preserved trunks and plant fragments clearly show the marks of their fossilization through volcanic processes.
Around 25 million years ago, during the Early Miocene, volcanic eruptions buried this forest under ash and pumice fragments. The slow fossilization process transformed the plant remains into the specimens visible today.
The site carries the memory of Zuri village, relocated in 1924 for the dam construction. The fossils serve as reminders of a landscape that disappeared beneath the reservoir.
The best viewing opportunities come from exploring the shore and shallow areas, especially when water levels drop in summer. The nearby Santa Maria Maddalena church provides a useful reference point for orientation.
Research reveals striking similarities between the plants here and fossil species from African deposits. These connections suggest how the continents were once arranged differently during ancient times.
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