Prehistoric Italy

Throughout history, the fertile (and beautiful) Val Camonica valleys were an important route through the Italian Alps connecting northern and southern Europe. Prehistorians have theorised that the continuing movement of peoples and goods, especially during the Bronze and Iron Ages, gave rise to a dynamic prehistoric society – the history of which is pecked into this ice-scoured landscape of lakes and mountains.  

The Alpine valleys of Val Camonica hold one of the largest collections of Prehistoric rock art in the world - Italy’s first World Heritage Site. From 6,000 years ago – from the Neolithic all the way through the Roman period – the inhabitants of Val Camonica etched pictures into the rock. Each depiction is unique, creating a varied and concentrated gallery of prehistoric life: there are animals, humans, boats, carts, huts - some strung together into narratives - an almost overwhelming profusion of detail.