Val Camonica

Val Camonica is an alpine valley in Lombardy, northern Italy, renowned for a very large concentration of prehistoric rock carvings. The valley’s petroglyphs span a long time sequence from the Neolithic through the Iron Age.

Over 140,000 individual engravings have been recorded across multiple rock panels and protected sites, depicting scenes of daily life, ritual, weapons and symbolic figures. Several protected parks and open-air sites present engraved panels with interpretive information.

The rock art was created across millennia and was documented and protected in the 20th century; key sites have been brought under conservation and some are presented with visitor facilities. The UNESCO inscription in 1979 recognised the valley’s outstanding archaeological and cultural value.

Geographically the valley runs through the central Alps in Lombardy, with access from towns such as Darfo Boario Terme and Capo di Ponte and lying northeast of Brescia.

• Petroglyph count: The valley contains one of Europe's largest concentrations of prehistoric rock carvings, with over 140,000 petroglyphs recorded across the area.
• World Heritage status: UNESCO inscribed the rock art of the valley as a World Heritage Site in 1979, recognising its long sequence of engravings from the Neolithic to the Iron Age.

What to See #

• Naquane Park: Naquane Rock Art National Park (Capo di Ponte) - a principal protected complex of petroglyphs with tens of thousands of engravings and an on-site visitor centre.
• Seradina-Bedolina: Seradina-Bedolina - an open-air archaeological park with extensive Iron Age and later engravings, known for complex figurative scenes.