Parco Nazionale delle Incisioni Rupestri

Opened in 1955, the Parco Nazionale delle Incisioni Rupestri (National Park of Rock Engravings) was Italy’s first archaeological park and the first site recognised by UNESCO in 1979 as a World Heritage site. It preserves 104 engraved rocks, with some of the most famous examples of rock art in all the Camonica Valley.

Parco Nazionale delle Incisioni Rupestri

The name of Contrada Aquane appeared on a 19th-century cadastral map, probably referring to the legends of Alpine tradition. The engravings found here range from the schematic images of the Neolithic period to more detailed symbolic compositions from the Copper and Bronze Ages, up to narrative scenes from the Iron Age characterised by a dynamic, descriptive style.

The “classic” Camunian artistic period is considered to be over with the arrival of the Romans, although we have a little evidence of it in the Middle Age, during the so-called post-Camunian period.

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  The Great Rock - Rock 1

  The Great Rock in Naquane has over two thousand engravings. The oldest date back to the Late Neolithic era, and the most recent to the Early Iron Age. This is a unique carved rock in Europe, with scenes of apparent everyday life, but more probably with symbolic roots lying in the valley culture.

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  The Great Rock - the Deer hunting scene

  Deer hunting with dog (Iron Age). This is almost the only scene on the second, north-facing sector of the large surface of Rock 1.

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  Rock 35 – Running priest

  This rock is engraved with the so-called “running priest”, dating back to the Iron Age. The male figure wears a head cover with feathers, folded backwards, and has one arm raised, one resting at his side and the legs bent in a running or dancing position.

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  Rock 35 – The Village

  Another portion of the rock shows a “village scene”: buildings, engraved perhaps later than the hunting scenes in the background, showing typical activities of everyday life.

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  Rock 23

  Dating back to the Iron Age, the figure of the horse-drawn cart is drawn from two different perspectives: the cart is shown as seen from above while the four spoked wheels and two horses are shown from the side.

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  Rock 50

  Numerous human figures can be seen on the surface of Rock 50 in the “orant” worshipping position: arms upraised, symmetrical legs and a linear body. We can also see knights in combat or hunting, and a dozen or so engravings in North-Etruscan characters.