MoPa
Farneta
Located in the premises of the former elementary school of Farneta, in the municipality of Cortona (AR), the MoPa (Paleontological Exhibition of the Faunistic Unit of Farneta) has been exhibiting since 2010 specimens of extinct vertebrates such as the Mammuthus meridionalis.
Collected and catalogued over time by Don Sante Felici from the 60s, during the construction of the Autostrada del Sole, these fossils are an important heritage priceless offering a look at the fauna of the Valdichiana in the Quaternary
Don Sante
«...Ho fatto un museo alla buona però auspico che rimanga a Farneta, portato via da qui diventa anonimo e perde di significato...»
Born in 1913 in Pietraia (AR), Don Sante Felici was entrusted to the priestly service of Farneta in 1937, at the age of 24. He gave life to various initiatives over the years, putting in motion the whole community which at that time had a much larger number of members than the present one. These were not only of ecclesiastical matter, Don Sante Felici was a "amateur cultist" (as he liked to define himself) of Archaeology, Paleontology, History and local folklore. He devoted much of his time to the collection of artifacts that were found during the construction of the Autostrada del Sole and enclosed them under one roof. At a time when the protection of certain cultural goods was not as general and well-known as it is today, he was always committed to the fight against looting or improper marketing of fossil material in his area and had a close and friendly relationship with the Florentine museum, which resulted in the entrustment of the protection of all its paleontological collection. It was so that he opened, with his own resources, the Paleontological Museum of Farneta which is still today a tourist destination for families and place of interest and research
The Farneta Faunal Unit
The Faunistic unit of Farneta, dated 1,6-1,4 Ma, was established by Augusto Azzaroli and Elsa Gliozzi on the basis of fauna found in the yellow sands that emerge in the hills near the abbey of Farneta. Together with the fauna of Tasso and Pirro, it represents fossil deposits belonging to the last phase of the Villafranchian age.
The term Villafranchian was coined by Lorenzo Pareto, an Italian geologist and politician, in reference to river and lake sediments with abundant presence of fossil mammals emerging in the area of Villafranca D'Asti (Piedmont).
The chronological subdivision of the Villafranchian was defined by Augusto Azzaroli, in the years 70-80, with the division of the Villafranchian age into: Lower (3.5-2.6 Ma); Middle (2.6-2.0 Ma); Upper (2.0-1.0 Ma)
The three horizons, two of the upper Villafranchian, with the faunistic units of Tasso and Farneta, and the third "galerian", were distinguished essentially on the basis of paleontological content.
Percorso geologico Farneta
A walk, lasting 1h, following the sites of fossil finds during construction of the Motorway A1 and the new railway line.
Starting from the museum, we venture into the surrounding countryside, to discover a distant past. The walk along the paleontological path of Farneta allows you to taste the beauty of these places, very interesting also from a landscape and naturalistic point of view
How to reach us
Address
Via del Petrischio, 12, 52044 La Villa - Farneta AR, Italia
Contact
349 4949604
Opening Hours
Mon - Fri
9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am – 6:00 pm
​Sunday
9:00 am – 6:00 pm