Malipurtusi Geosite

Verbicaro (CS) guards a geological treasure of inestimable value in the heart of the Pollino National Park. This is the Malipurtusi Geosite, where in 2020 the remains of ancient cephalopod molluscs that lived between the Lower Devonian and Upper Cretaceous (400-65 million years ago) were identified. Today, they are visible in dolomite and dolomitic limestone outcrops, ancient seabeds that emerged as a result of Calabria's intense tectonic activity. In addition to the Malipurtusi Geosite, Verbicaro has outcrops of so-called ‘’pillow lava‘’, visible between the localities of Sgretola and Schiena dello Zigrino. These structures, formed 18.5 million years ago during submarine basaltic eruptions, bear witness to the expansion process of the Tethys, the primordial ocean, and tell us about the fascinating dynamics of plate tectonics.