A day in the green mountains, dedicated to archaeology and speleology.
It is the proposal of this itinerary in the natural setting of the Valley of Zena to discover the treasures kept in the Archaeological Museum of Monterenzio which houses fascinating evidence of the ancient populations, of the Park of the archaeological naturalistic area of Monte Bibele and the small "temple" dedicated to the Botroids, ancient stones with anthropomorphic forms collected by the famous Bolognese speleologist Luigi Fantini during his walks and research along the ridges and paths of the Apennines.
Named after the famous speleologist and pioneer of research on the prehistory of Bologna, the museum, located in the center of Monterenzio, illustrates the history of the settlement of the Valleys of Idice and Zena from prehistory to the Roman era, focusing in particular on the Etruscan-Celtic period.
Next to the objects of everyday life, inside you can admire the evocative full-scale reconstruction of a hut of the Etruscan-Celtic village in Pianella di Monte Salvino and the numerous finds coming from the nearby sites of Monte Bibele and Monterenzio Vecchio that effectively illustrate the cultural fusion between Celts and Etruscans that took place in these lands.
Of great interest is the terracotta solar disc found at the end of the 60s, dating back to the founding period of the town between the end of the fifth and the beginning of the fourth century BC.
After the visit to the museum, the experience of immersion in the world of our ancestors continues in the vast archaeological area of Monte Bibele, easily reachable by car and after a short walk in the woods, among protected flora and unspoilt landscapes.
The area of Monte Bibele is the most important Italian archaeological complex - and one of the most important in Europe - regarding the civilization of the Celts.
It is considered unique in its kind, as it represents the most consistent Celtic example of urban planning.
Developed on a settlement of Etruscan origin, it is composed of sectors differentiated from the functional point of view that allow you to understand the various aspects of the life of the populations that have inhabited it over the centuries.
Of great interest is the visit to the house rebuilt philologically following the perimeter of the ancient building highlighted by archaeological excavations.
The Botridi Museum is located in Tazzola (in the municipality of Pianoro), an ancient village dating back to 1100, along the CAI 815, a beautiful path that connects the Castle of Zena to the Monte delle Formiche through the Torre dell'Erede (dating back to 1100).
The Museum houses what is called the largest collection in the world of Botroidi and is conceived as an environment to preserve and make known the anthropomorphic sandstone stones, collected by the pioneer of caving Luigi Fantini in the early 1900s along the Zena River, creating a geological path where, through color, touch, and smell, you be able to know the history of the earth in a direct and engaging way.
A real journey through 80 million years of history, passing from the Cretaceous to the present day, coming into contact with fossils, yellow sands and mysterious stones.
