Museo paleontologico «Luigi Boldrini» di Pietrafitta
Palaeontological museum with thousands of Lower Pleistocene fossils from the lignites of Pietrafitta, among the richest collections in Europe.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum holds fossil remains recovered from the lignites of the Pietrafitta basin, in the upper valley of the Nestore river in Umbria. The deposits formed in the Lower Pleistocene, around 1.6–1.4 million years ago, in a marshy environment on the edge of a lake basin, and have yielded remains of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and pollen.
The collection began in the 1960s on the initiative of Luigi Boldrini, assistant shift supervisor at the mine, who regularly checked the excavator’s digging in the lignite beds and began to collect and preserve the fossils that came to the surface. Today the collection comprises several thousand specimens and is considered one of the most important European collections of its kind.
Mammals make up the largest part of the collection, with many species; birds, reptiles, amphibians and traces of insects are also present. The mining activity of the basin, with its heritage of industrial archaeology and the stories of its workers, is a further element of cultural interest in the area. The museum is part of the Direzione regionale Musei Umbria of the Ministry of Culture.
Highlights
- Collection of several thousand Lower Pleistocene fossils
- Mammal remains of the Farneta fauna
- Fossil birds, reptiles and amphibians
- Mining history and industrial archaeology of the basin
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione paleontologica di Pietrafitta – Fossils of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects from the lignites of the Pietrafitta basin.
- Operated by
- Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Umbria
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free for EU citizens under 18, subject to the reductions set out in the admission rules for Italian cultural venues. |
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The municipal website states that admission is also accessible to people with disabilities.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
