LANDSCAPE AREA Q _ ALBURNI MOUNTAIN-TANAGRO VALLEY

Included Geosites

Id_denomination Imp. Id_denomination Imp. Id_denomination Imp. 142_ karsic springs with fall of S. Maria Auso

M 149_ Grooved mean-ders of Calore river- Stazione di Sicignano

S 156_ karst plateau of Alburni Mountain

S

143_Caves of Castelcivita-Mulino's springs

F-C 150_Carbonatic series of Postiglione

S 157_Piaggine Forma-tion-S. Rufo

S

144_Caves of Pertosa F-C 151_Terraces of Calore river- Altavilla Silentina

S 158_Fossil of Lady Mountain

S

145_Sinkhole of Fumo-Frà Gentile

S 152_Limestone with fossil-Timpa del Prato

S 159_ Richter side -Controne

S

146_Fossiliferous level of Petina

S 153_Limestone with nummulites- Ottati

S 160_ Conglomerate of Auletta

S

147_ Fault of Alburni Mountain -Il Figliolo

S 154_ Trentinara forma-tion-road to Castelcivita

S

148_Fossiliferous level of Carbonara

S 155_ Limestone with nummulites - road to Ottati

S

Legend  Landscape areas  National Park 

M=Main F= Focal C= Complementary S= Secondary

INTEREST (1= primary - 2 = secondary) GEOLOGICAL SCIENTIFIC OTHER

Structural Mineralogical Rare (conservation experimentation) 1

Didactical 2

Stratigrafical Hydrogeological 1 Popularization Hikers/trecking Geomorphological 1 Paleontological 2 Rappresentative Archeological Sedimentological Karsic 1 Mondial/European 2 Naturalistic

Paleoenviromental 2 Paleobiological National/Local Historical/religious

MAIN GEOSITE 142_ karsic springs with fall of S. Maria Auso

Ubication Altitude Accessibility Nation - ITALY

300 m. s.l. Region - CAMPANIA feet trackway

Province - SALERNO Distance car X recreation X

NATIONAL PARK 70 Km. from National Park

office

boat restaurant

Municipality - S. ANGE-LO A FASANELLA

other exposition

Fruition

Cartography of Main Geosite

DESCRIPTION In this landscape area outcrop all the carbonate formations of Albuno Cervati Pollino Unit from the Tri-

assic to the Middle Miocene. Along the Tanagro’s valley terraced alluvial deposits are present.

Within this landscape 19 individuals geoites are identified, linked epigean and hypogean karst processes,

such as: the main geosite “S. Maria dell’Auso” which includes Auso’s springs with waterfall, the cave

“morta” and other minor springs. The whole karst system is in communication with the geosite “Fumo-

Frà Gentile”, (cave of “Fumo” and sinkhole of S. Mary, the caves of Our Lady and of “Ossa” mountain),

through a series of ducts karst only minimally detected and explored.

Two other geosites classified as focal and complementary, to their specific geoturistic features, are caves

of Castelcivita and the caves of the Angel of Pertosa.

The Caves of Catelcivita are connected to the “Mulino’s” springs and are also interesting for the speleol-

ogy and archeology. They are important caves, which together with the caves “Ausino” and “Mulino,

constitute a single karst system explored for about 6 km. In these caves outcrop: fossiliferous limestone

to Rudiste and limestone to nummulites, the Trentinara formation as an example of transition strati-

graphic and palaeoenvironmental changes between Eocenic (about 45 millions years ago) and Miocenic

(about 20 millions years ago) soils. The cave is a succession of galleries, salons, bottlenecks and sinks,

that chases one another, overlap, collapse in leaps and fearful chasms, creating unique details of their

kind : lemon, the face of a cherub, the bunches of grapes, the big crib and the Pagoda, all wonderfully

created by calcareous concretions. There are several rooms: a large cave called Luigi Vittorio Bertarelli

(guide), which stands in perfect vertical a wonderful column; the desert which floor looks sandy and flat;

the great Hall “Principe di Piemonte” particular for the presence of a column consisting of stylish hori-

zontal piece disc; the tunnel “Boegan” a majestic stage consists of hundreds of stalactites and stalagmites

columns; the Great Falls variously tinged with yellow and white. Several objects from Palaeolithic dis-

coveries in recent years, suggest that the cave has been continuously inhabited since the Stone Age until

the Iron age.

Caves of the Angel of Pertosa are a karst area with various geomorphological speleological and archeo-

logical emergencies. They present a development of about 3km from which emerges, along a lateral

branch, an underground stream. These caves run in an impressive series of tunnels until it terminates in

the many natural "rooms", all with a different characteristics. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, and per-

haps also of Stone age, we can find the palafitte. The geotourist itinerary winds through shafts, tunnels,

bottlenecks and large rooms, all features and unique in its kind and among the many to mention: the Hall

of Wonders; the Great, heigh 24 metres; the Hall of sponges is unique in the world; the Hall of bats has

very special and rare character.

Other geosite is the Karst plateau of Alburni Mountains, vast karst area and, perhaps, the most important

in Mediterranean area for the different geomorphological emergencies, valuable both for their scientific

significance for the exemplary teaching. There are numerous caves and sinkholes such as: the cave of the

Gentiles (-480m), the most profound of Alburni Mountain; the cave I Parchitiello; the cave of winter; the

cave of “confine”; the sinkholes of Pila and of “Figliolo”; the cave of Mary; the cave of Serrone; the

cave of Minollo; the two sinkholes of Campitelli; the cave of Falco that presenting an underground

stream to 150 metres depth; the sink of Capostrada and the Cave Milan where were found Bear’s bones.

The other geosites surveyed are mainly stratigraphic interest: Petina, fossiliferous level important both from the point

of time (level markers of the Cretaceous about 100 Millions years ago) that paleontological and paleo biological; Car-

bonara, fossiliferous levels (Eocene) with Cyclopoma gigas Agassiz; Postiglione, sequence type of carbonate platform

Jurassic-Cretaceous; Calore River, river terraces as a result of erosive quaternary phase (last 2 Millions years); Sicig-

nano Station, embanked meanders of Calore river; Timpa Prato and Ottati, examples of fossiliferous limestone levels

( about 20 and 40 Millions years ago); Castelcivita, outcrop of Trentinara formation, an example of stratigraphic steps

and palaeoenvironmental changes in the conditions between Eocene (about 45 millions years ago-Ma) and Miocene

(20 Milions years ago) soils; S. Rufo, stratigraphic transition between breccias and sandstones of Piaggine; Lady

Mountain examples of fossiliferous limestone in Rudiste levels of about 70 millions years ago; Conglomerates of Au-

letta; Controne, example of the Richter’s side.

Geosite 142_ karsic springs with fall of S. Maria Auso

Geosite 143_ Caves of Castelcivita Geosite 143_ Caves of Castelcivita—stalactite and stalagmite

Geosite 142_ karsic springs with fall of S. Maria Auso Bridge of Molino de fFeo

Geosite 143_ Caves of Castelcivita- stalactite and stalagmite

Geosite 143_ Caves of Castelcivita– the lake

Geosite 144_ Caves of Pertosa

Geosite 144_ Caves of Pertosa– the lake

Geosite 144_ Caves of Pertosa– the fall

Geosite 144_ Caves of Pertosa- stalactite and stalagmite

Geosite 144_ Caves of Pertosa- stalactite and stalagmite

Geosite 144_ Caves of Pertosa- To go boating

Geosite 153_ Fossil– Clupavus

Geosite 146_ Fossil– Alburnia Petinen-