Pliocene Spur Nature Reserve

The Pliocene Spur is one of the most spectacular geological features in Emilia-Romagna. Just a few kilometres from Bologna, in the Sasso Marconi area, it offers scenic footpaths, sandstone cliffs, protected natural habitats and some of the most striking landscapes in the Bolognese Apennines.

This long ridge of sandstone, formed between 5 and 2 million years ago during the Pliocene, stretches for around 15 kilometres, crossing the municipalities of Sasso Marconi, Pianoro and Monzuno, forming an imposing natural wall that overlooks the valleys of the Reno, Setta, Savena, Zena and Idice rivers.

Its golden cliffs bear witness to a past in which much of the Po Valley was covered by the sea. The sediments deposited on the seabed and the subsequent uplift of the Apennines gave rise to the characteristic cliffs, towers and sandstone outcrops that today make this landscape unique from both a geological and naturalistic perspective. Fossils of ancient marine organisms are still visible in the rocks, bearing witness to the area’s millennia-old history.