In Umbria, besides all the marvelous other things to see, there is a site almost beyond imagination; a fossilized forest more than one million years old!

How is this possible? Well, during the Pliocene epoch, about one million years ago, the entire Italian peninsula emerged from the sea. Enormous basins of stagnating water were left in valleys that extended from Cittá di Castello to the Terni basin. This enormous mass of water formed what was then called Lake Tiberino.

The Dunarobba forest presumably stood near the shore of the lake, and was often flooded. Sediments were deposited over time, which began to cover the trunks of trees; then later buried them entirely. Because they were covered in a layer of clay and mud at least ten meters thick, the trees began to die. However, the particular consistency of clay made the substance waterproof, which made the preservation of those trees possible for millions of years.

This all seems wildly preposterous, even after viewing the trees up close. But come and see for yourself, and be sure to ask one of the local caretakers for a free history lesson while viewing them.