Museo paleontologico Silvio Lai

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1993 at Peagna, a hamlet of Ceriale, to preserve fossils found in the surrounding area, in particular in the Lower Pliocene deposit of the Rio Torsero. The current display was opened in 2008 and completed in 2010. In 2008 a laboratory was also added for recovering, classifying and cataloguing finds, equipped with tools for studying microfauna and rock structure.

The visit begins with the “paleontological cupboard”, a piece of furniture with doors and drawers that explains fossils, fossilisation, the geology and palaeogeography of the nearby Rio Torsero regional nature reserve. Two panels reconstruct the Pliocene sea floor, and some floor cases show fossil-bearing rocks from the main Ligurian sites, alongside present-day shells and corals for comparison. The route ends in the “chiocciola” (snail shell), a small shell-shaped room that presents geological time epoch by epoch.

The museum also has a conference room, a laboratory and a small library. Outside, a botanical garden illustrates the evolution of plants from the Palaeozoic to the Cenozoic.

Highlights

• “Paleontological cupboard” on the fossils of the Rio Torsero
• Reconstruction of the Pliocene sea floor
• “Chiocciola” room on geological time
• Present-day shells and corals to compare with the fossils
• Botanical garden on the evolution of plants

Founded

1993

Operated by

Comune di Ceriale

Visitors per year

approx. 702

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

The space is designed especially for children and students, with a colourful and interactive route.

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.

Plan your visit