Museo malacologico delle argille e Parco dei fossili
Museum with mollusc fossils in a 12-hectare geological park created in a former clay quarry at Cutrofiano, in the Salento.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The park occupies a clay quarry abandoned at the end of the 1970s, in the contrada Lustrelle. In the quarry, geological layers of marine origin, very rich in fossils, are exposed over about 12 hectares. In the 1980s the site became an illegal dump; it was later cleaned up by the owning company, which planted thousands of trees along its edges.
In 1999 the quarry and a restored 17th-century farmhouse were lent to the Pro Loco di Cutrofiano, which entrusted an expert with the scientific organisation of the malacological museum and the protection of the fossil-bearing sections. On 9 August that year the museum and park were officially established, among the few examples in Italy and Europe of a disused quarry recovered for scientific and educational purposes.
The museum has two rooms: the first displays cabinets of fossil molluscs (gastropods, bivalves, scaphopods) with panels on geological eras and taxonomy; the second hosts a small space for meetings and screenings, models of the quarry and of a gallery quarry, and a reconstruction of a layer of blue clay. The park is now run by the association InRete.
Highlights
- Geological trail through marine layers rich in fossils
- Exhibition room with Pleistocene mollusc fossils
- Model of the quarry and reconstruction of a layer of blue clay
- Educational woodland
- Educational activities and workshops for schools and families
- Founded
- 1999
- Operated by
- Associazione InRete (gestione); proprietà Colacem
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Educational activities and workshops for children and families, with a route through the educational woodland.
Getting there & parking
The park is on the state road between Aradeo and Cutrofiano, at the junction for Sogliano Cavour.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The association offers themed programmes for schools and families (palaeontology, micro-worlds, birds of prey, flora and fauna of the Salento, creative recycling), birdwatching, trekking and nature walks, including night walks. |
