THE PALLADIO QUARRIES

"OF WATER AND ROCK..."

Difficulty Level: Medium

Difference in altitude: 300 m

Minimum altitude: 15 m ats

Altitudine Max: 264 m

Length: 10 Km

Walking time: 3/4 h

For: From 10 years

History

Nature

Food

Traditions

WHAT WE WILL DO

The aim of this excursion, suitable for everyone, is to convey the beauty that the union between nature and human ingenuity can harmoniously manifest. The area of interest includes the only lake of glacial origin formed about 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. With the retreat of the ice, the area underwent significant geological transformations that led to the creation of a natural basin. The waters of the lake, nourished mainly by springs and precipitation, have given life to a rich and diverse ecosystem that we will have the opportunity to admire from unique views among the surrounding hills. This area represents not only a natural treasure within the Berici Hills, but also a witness to history and culture. We will visit, in areas hidden by vegetation, what remains of the quarries of the "Pietra di Vicenza", material used to build numerous Palladio villas and palaces in Vicenza. These rock "monuments" are not only an important cultural and historical resource, but also a unique ecosystem that deserves to be preserved. The abandoned "caves" have become refuges for various species, mammals, amphibians and plants, creating a habitat rich in biodiversity and fascinating at the same time.