The Cava of Massignano

The Mount Conero, with its unmistakable asymmetrical dome shape, is the result of a long process of marine sedimentation that began in the Jurassic period and culminated in its emergence during the Pliocene, approximately 5 million years ago.

The park's stone quarries, whose extraction activity ended in 1970, have transformed this area into a true "open book" on geological history. Their rock walls, in fact, show in an exceptionally clear way the entire stratigraphic succession that characterizes the Umbria-Marche Apennines.

Among these sites, the former Massignano quarry, now a public trail, stands out for its importance. This location has been designated by the international scientific community as the "global stratotype", which is the worldwide reference point for the geological transition between the Eocene and Oligocene periods.

It is precisely here that, according to studies, the decisive evidence linking the extinction of the dinosaurs, which occurred 65 million years ago, to the impact of a gigantic meteorite that fell in America was found. Special information panels along the path help to decipher this fascinating phenomenon.