Museo Paleontologico Rinaldo Zardini

The Rinaldo Zardini Paleontological Museum in Cortina d'Ampezzo preserves fossils from the ancient seas of the Dolomites. Corals, sponges, shells and other remains connect the mountain landscape with its Triassic geological history.

Why it matters

The collection grew from Zardini's long investigation of the Ampezzo area. His records linked specimens with their discovery sites and research notes, giving local collecting a lasting scientific value. The fossils reveal environments very different from the mountains in which they were found.

What to notice

Thick-shelled megalodont bivalves contrast with branching and colony-forming corals and the structures of fossil sponges. Specimens and their locality information show the variety of life preserved in different rocks. Plant fossils extend the account beyond marine invertebrates.

Context and history

The museum opened in August 1975 under the Regole d'Ampezzo, the community institution responsible for several cultural collections in Cortina. Named after the researcher whose work formed its foundation, it connects the history of local scientific inquiry with the much older geological history of the surrounding valleys.