Museo Paleontologico Luigi Boldrini (Pietrafitta)

The Luigi Boldrini Paleontological Museum at Pietrafitta preserves fossils discovered during lignite mining, including mammoths and other lower-Pleistocene fauna.

Why it matters

The collection documents an ancient lake environment and preserves a rich assemblage from the Farneta Faunal Unit, dating to roughly 1.6–1.4 million years ago. The museum also records the industrial history of the lignite mines that exposed the fossils.

What to notice

The collection includes plant remains, freshwater molluscs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals such as elephants, rhinoceroses, deer, bison, bears and macaques. The main hall presents the fossils alongside interpretation of the mining community and its work.

Context and history

Lignite extraction at Pietrafitta exposed fossil-bearing deposits. Mine worker Luigi Boldrini began collecting and documenting finds in the 1960s, forming the core of the museum's collection. Later scientific work involved the University of Perugia and the regional museum directorate.