Descrizione
As soon as we step inside, the shells of the ammonites – prehistoric marine molluscs – captivate our gaze with their spiral shape.
How is it possible that these creatures were found amongst the rocks of Monte Nerone?
We are used to thinking of mountains as unchanging landmarks, yet on the scale of geological eras, a mountain is just one of many features shaped by the extremely slow processes that reshape the earth.
Where there are now high peaks, millions of years ago there was a tropical sea, in which ammonites and countless other creatures swam freely. The museum continues with exhibits that guide us through the environmental evolution of the Nerone area, featuring bones and skulls of predators such as the cave bear, alongside finds from all over the world and the curious septarian stones – rocks that glow under UV light.
Also of great interest is the collection of bells recovered from the parish churches of Apecchio. The oldest dates back to 1300, whilst on the 17th-century Ubaldini bell we can see the symbol of Apecchio: a woodpecker on the back of a cow. Legend has it that the Ubaldini counts had their gold cast to create it, thereby achieving a sound of incomparable sweetness.
The museum tour is made clear and engaging by the large number of explanatory panels, in Italian and English, and by various multimedia and interactive displays that help visitors immerse themselves in times long past, listening to the sound of the sea where the wind now blows through the mountain peaks.
