I have been once in Valcamonica, where are a prehistoric complex, realized in a period of 8000 years, extended in a 70 km long area and not yet completely explored, of 2400 rocks with 140000 engraved symbols and figures, that evoke scenes of navigation, dance, war, agriculture and magic.

I have been to the sites of Foppe di Nadro, near Ceto, in the Regional Park of the Rock Drawings of Ceto, Cimbergo and Paspardo, and to the National Park of the Rock Drawings of Naquane, founded in 1955 near Capo di Ponte as the most important in Valcamonica, 30 ha large. In Naquane are 104 engraved rocks going from the Neolithic period to the early Christian age. The most important rocks are: the Big Rock 1, the most important in the valley, with about 1000 drawings with a labyrinth, armed men, sun symbols, cult objects, foots, birds, shovels, carts, warriors, riders, priests and scenes of hunting of deers, war, weaving and women's initiations from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age, the Rock 47, with a cart with wheels drawn by ox, fighting warriors, shovels and mythological figures, the rock 50 with armed men, riders, cart constructers, boats, birds, inscriptions, foots, temples, buildings, shovels, sun symbols and scenes from the Iron Age of a sun cult, the rock 35, with a small village, a smith, a runner with a plumed headdress, scenes of duels between armed men, the rock 32 with a female initiation scene from the Eneolithic Age, the rock 44 with axes, deers, warriors and shovels, the rock 6 with lances, the rock 99 with a Latin inscription and scenes of duels, the rocks 70 to 75 with huts, sun symbols, temples and an ancient god, the rock 23 with a cart with four wheels, the rock 60 with a rose and the rock 57 with deers and a plough. In Foppe di Nadro the most important rocks are: the rock 1 with scenes of a sun cult with prayers, armed men, duellists and medieval crosses, the rocks 4, 22 and 23 with halberds, daggers, axes, symbols and scenes of dancing and ploughing, the rock 6 with huts, stars, foots, duellists, warriors and symbols, the rock 24, with huts, dances, flautists, duellists, warriors, animals and symbols, the rocks 26 and 27 with duellists, warriors, riders, prayers, huts, temples, idols, dogs, inscription and symbols, the rock 35 with stars and the rock 36 with a bowman.

This site is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen because of the beauty and the antiquity of the drawings. It's absolutely worth to be visited (it's quite hard to get to the valley and you must walk a lot in woods for visit many drawings) because it is the most important complex of rock art in the world and justifies the inscription.

Photo: Naquane - Big Rock 1