Esperia

Leaving Pignataro Interamna and following the Via Francigena detour in the South, one ascends the slope that leads to Esperia, where fossilized dinosaur footprints dating back to the Cretaceous period have been discovered.

The footprints, attributed to theropod dinosaurs, provide tangible evidence of the presence of these ancient reptiles in the area. The geosite is located in the locality of S. Martino, between the municipality of Esperia (FR) and the hamlet of Monticelli. To reach it, one must travel from the historical center of Esperia along the main road until reaching the southern exit of the town walls through the ancient Porta Morrone; one then finds themselves on the road that leads to the locality of Polleca, in the Monti Aurunci Natural Park.

After passing the parking area, one must follow the road that winds at the foot of the mountain range (via Polleca), alongside a gorge where one can observe, on the right, beautiful limestone towers and karst caves. After about 1 km, the road descends into a narrow valley and splits into two directions: taking the right path leads to via Capo d’Asciolo which, after approximately 4 km of twists and particularly scenic mountain landscapes, arrives at the site. This site is visible as a limestone outcrop, with blocky stratification, exposed by the road cut on the right side of the roadway.

It appears as a surface layer of about 40 square meters, sloping towards the roadway and made of limestone, which presents more than 80 traces of dinosaur walking: specifically, these are ichnofossils that testify to the passage of medium-sized sauropods (long-necked, quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs) and small-sized theropods (terrestrial dinosaurs, primarily bipedal and predatory).

The animals left their traces while passing over a surface that at the time must have been composed of limestone mud.

In Esperia, one can visit the Museum of Karst at Palazzo Spinelli on Via Castello, where there is a plaster cast of a dinosaur footprint. https://www.parcoaurunci.it/vivere-il-parco/museo-del-carsismo/