Peridotites of Pria Burgheisa
Pria Burgheisa: The Hidden Gem of Prato Mollo
At the edge of the wide marshy plateau of Prato Mollo, dark rock spires rise in stark contrast to the surrounding landscape. This is the famous Pria Burgheisa, or Pietra Borghese, once thought to be an ancient meteorite. Today we know it is instead a true geological treasure, one of the oldest rocks in Italy: 2 billion years of history preserved in a unique outcrop.
A Journey to the Origins of the Earth
Pria Burgheisa is made of iherzolitic peridotites, extremely hard rocks originating from more than 30 km deep, remnants of the crust of the ancient Ligurian Ocean. This rock is not only ancient but also magnetic, capable of making compasses spin and even deflecting the needle up to 180°. A striking demonstration of the hidden geological power beneath our feet.
The Heart of the Cantomoro Ring
The Pietra Borghese is part of a massive peridotitic olistolite, which also forms the summits of Monte Aiona and Monte Nero, embedded within the Casanova Complex, the “basal complex” of the Ottone Unit. Today the site is accessible via trails leading to Monte Aiona and Passo dell’Incisa, along the scenic Cantomoro Ring, the ophiolitic trail of the Parco Naturale Regionale dell’Aveto. Here, nature, geology, and history merge into a unique experience, where every stone tells a billion-year-old story.
Sources
Regione Liguria, “69_Catasto Geositi Liguria. Peridotiti di Pria Burgheisa”;
https://www.regione.liguria.it/contenuti_statici/geositi/69_Catasto%20geositi.pdf;
AA.VV., “Parco naturale regionale dell’Aveto. L’anello del Cantamoro sentiero «ofiolitico»”, Erga edizioni, Genova, 2005;
https://misteryhunters.it/scienza/lo-strano-caso-della-pietra-borghese/;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTVPlj1XZgc;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfKHVSw-kDk;
https://www. 101giteinliguria.it/l-anello-del-cantomoro/;
https://passeggiareinliguria.it/2018/08/30/pietra-borghese-monte-aiona/;
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