Pietra di Bismantova
| Pietra di Bismantova | ||
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 The Pietra from the fraction Croce at Castelnovo ne 'Monti seen from |
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| height | 1047 m slm | |
| location | Reggio Emilia Province , Italy | |
| Mountains | Apennines | |
| Coordinates | 44 ° 25 '11 " N , 10 ° 24' 38" E | |
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The Pietra di Bismantova is a striking rock formation in the northern Apennines in Italy . It is located in the municipality of Castelnovo ne 'Monti in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna . It consists of a narrow plateau, surrounded by sloping rock walls that stand out sharply in the surrounding gentle mountain landscape.
geology
The Pietra consists of calcareous sedimentary rock that was piled up over marl on the sea floor in the Miocene . Enclosed in the rock are mollusks typical of a tropical climate . The slow formation of cracks and crevices in the calcareous rock, followed by erosion , has so far left the platform visible today on the top of the rock intact. This plateau is about 1 km long, 240 m wide and 300 m above the landscape surrounding the Pietra. The top of the rock is 1047 m slm
Flora and fauna
The top of the Pietra di Bismantova is largely covered with grasses and partly wooded. Shrubs such as common hazel , juniper , hawthorn , gorse and rhododendron grow . Occurring trees are downy oaks , oaks , maples , linden and hornbeams . On rocky outcrops you can find species that prefer a dry climate, such as thyme .
On the plateau and in the surrounding area, species typical of the Apennines such as wild boars , deer , hares , hedgehogs and birds of prey are widespread.
history
Artifacts and ceramic fragments have been found on the rock, suggesting that the plateau was used by humans from an early age.
In Byzantine times , a castle was built on the slopes of the rock. A Benedictine hermitage with a publicly accessible church was built on the ruins of this building in the 18th century .
Until the 16th century the area was fiefdom of the Dallo da Bismantova family , then it became the dominion of the Este . In 1859 the Pietra was added to the newly created municipality of Castelnovo ne 'Monti.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the paths and trails that are still used today were laid out on the rock.
Others
The Pietra di Bismantova is mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy and may have inspired him to describe the Monte del Purgatorio ( Mount of Purification ).
