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Rocceré Visitor Center and Archaeological and Natural Geo-site
RocceRé is a spectacular geological site frequented since antiquity by prehistoric populations and is located right at the foot of the Maira Valley, in Roccabruna, in the province of Cuneo.
A spiritual and mysterious place that fascinates with its setting and views. Venturing among its rocks, you travel back in time more than 4,000 years, thanks to Bronze Age artifacts found during archaeological excavations.
In an area embraced by lush vegetation, you can admire the Masso Altare, Roccias Fenestre, the King’s Throne, the Balmascura Cave, and appreciate the morphology of the solar calendar. In this site, there are 35,000 rock cups, discovered in 1991, whose origin is still being studied: these are hollows with a diameter ranging from 2 to 20 centimeters, found grouped in the hundreds on imposing flat or slightly sloping slabs; in other cases, compositions of nearby “cups” seem to form geometric, symmetrical figures, numerical analogies, arc-rectilinear chains, and even anthropomorphic figures. In 2013, a suspected cave painting with anthropomorphic-cervid features found at RocceRé was presented to the world assembly of IFRAO (International Federation of Rock Art Organizations) in New Mexico. In 2016, some astrophysical researchers hypothesized a rock representation of celestial maps and certain constellations.
In 2024, a new geological and archaeological assessment ordered by the Superintendency of Piedmont evaluated the formations on the site as completely natural phenomena, dating back to the final phase of the Last Glacial Maximum. The cupules/hollows are thought to have formed naturally due to weathering pits.
Thanks to this phenomenon, also known as gnammas, RocceRé is thus designated as a site of significant geological and natural importance; the archaeological finds are proof of the site’s use by prehistoric and/or protohistoric populations who most likely considered those mysterious stone cups sacred, suitable or later adapted for ancient rituals.
Visitor center
The Rocceré Visitor Center is nestled in the Sant’Anna di Roccabruna pine forest.
It is located at the Sant’Anna mountain hut. Visit it to immerse yourself in the history of Rocceré, from its discovery to the present day, with articles, projects, documentation, photographic exhibitions, and drawings.
As it is a fully-fledged mountain hut, there is also a dining area and beds. For the more adventurous, it offers the possibility of sleeping in a tent in the pine forest.
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How to visit the site
