Centro di Paleontologia Vegetale
Centro di Paleontologia Vegetale, Natural history museum in Avigliano Umbro, Italy.
The Plant Paleontology Center is a museum in Avigliano Umbro that displays approximately 50 fossilized conifer trunks still positioned where they were found. The trunks reveal the wood structures and characteristics of trees that lived here in ancient times.
This site emerged from excavations in a clay quarry during the 1970s, when workers uncovered a petrified forest buried in the earth. The research center was established in the late 1990s to preserve and study these remarkable remains.
The center reveals how plant life and climate differed in this region millions of years ago. Visitors can learn which species thrived here and how the landscape looked during that ancient time.
Access to the site requires joining a guided tour led by someone familiar with the fossils and geology. Wear sturdy shoes since you'll be walking on uneven, outdoor ground that can become slippery when wet.
The trees here lived approximately 3 to 2 million years ago in conditions very different from today's climate and landscape. Their fossils show that the area was once covered in forest and had much warmer temperatures.
Location: Avigliano Umbro
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Phone: +390744940348
Email: info@forestafossile.it
Website: http://forestafossile.it
GPS coordinates: 42.66105,12.45924
Latest update: December 6, 2025 19:07
Umbria preserves traces of over two millennia of history through its archaeological sites, religious monuments, and remarkable natural formations. The region features underground complexes such as Orvieto Underground with its 1,200 passages carved into volcanic tuff, and Narni Underground, revealing medieval chapels and remains of Roman aqueducts. Visitors also explore the Dunarobba Fossil Forest, where 50 petrified tree trunks dating back three million years showcase the region's geological evolution. Medieval castles like Rocca Albornoziana overlook ancient towns, while monasteries such as San Pietro in Valle and Eremo delle Carceri maintain medieval art and spirituality. The Umbrian landscape stretches from Gubbio's Roman theaters to mountain villages like Castelluccio, perched at 1,452 meters (4,764 feet) above sea level, and includes the Nera Natural Park, which protects over 2,120 hectares (5,243 acres) of forests and limestone formations. These sites trace the region’s history from the Etruscan civilization through the Renaissance.
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