World Heritage Photos

Monte San Giorgio is a cross-border UNESCO World Heritage Site, shared by Switzerland and Italy. The wooded mountain of Monte San Giorgio is located in the Swiss canton of Ticino about 58 km from Bellinzona. The pyramid-shaped mountain is set in the Alps and overlooks Lake Lugano. Monte San Giorgio is a place of extreme historical, archaeological and scientific value. The rocks of this mountain contain a rich quantity of fossils from the Triassic, a geological period that took place 250–230 million years ago. During the Triassic Period, Monte San Giorgio was a subtropical lagoon. The lagoon was partially separated from the open sea by an offshore reef; the seabed of this unique lagoon created an environment favourable to the preservation of the remains of the animals that inhabited it. Because the lagoon was near land, the fossils include not only marine fossils, but also fossils from the nearby land such as insects, reptiles and plants. The Fossil Museum in Meride exhibits a selection of the fossilised animals and plants from Monte San Giorgio. There is also a fossil museum in the Italian town of Besano, about 12 km from the town of Varese. Monte San Giorgio was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The site was extended in 2010 to include a section of the mountains Poncione d'Arzo (also known as Monte Pravello) and Monte Orsa in Italy. Monte San Giorgio is classified as a natural World Heritage Site. Another outstanding fossil deposit in Europe is the Messel Pit in Germany.

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   Monte San Giorgio: The rocks of Monte San Giorgio contain an enormous number of fossils. The fossils have been dated to between 243 and 239 million years ago, when Monte San Giorgio was a subtropical lagoon. The well-preserved fossils found on Monte San Giorgio are mainly marine animals, such as fishes and marine reptiles; only a small number of fossils of insects, plants and terrestrial reptiles were found. Monte San Giorgio is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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   A view of Lake Lugano from the 1,097-metre-high Monte San Giorgio. The wooded mountain is of extreme archaeological, historical and scientific value. A circular learning trail covers the geo-palaeontological history of this mountain. Monte San Giorgio is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy. The rocks of this mountain contain a great number of fossils dating to 243–239 million years ago. 

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   Monte San Giorgio: A small factory in Meride for the extraction of mineral oil from oil shale. The factory is situated at the foot of Monte San Giorgio. The first fossils at this Alpine mountain were discovered during mining excavations of the oil shale in the mid-19th century. The numerous and exceptionally well-preserved fossils found on Monte San Giorgio have been excavated by Swiss and Italian zoologists and palaeontologists since 1850.

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   Monte San Giorgio: A fossil of Saurichthys curionii; it was a fish of about one metre in length and looked very similar to the modern pike. The fossil was found in Meride at the foot of Monte San Giorgio. This Saurichthys fossil is on display at the Fossil Museum in Meride in Switzerland. The Swiss Monte San Giorgio and the neighbouring mountains Monte Orsa and Poncione d'Arzo, or Monte Pravello, in Italy are among the most important fossil deposits in the world.

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   Monte San Giorgio: Inside the Fossil Museum in the small picturesque Swiss village of Meride. The Swiss Fossil Museum at Meride and the Besano Fossil Museum in Italy display the fossils found on Monte San Giorgio. Spread over three floors, the fossil museum in Meride presents a great number of well-preserved fossils found on Monte San Giorgio. This fossil mountain is situated on the border between the Swiss Canton of Ticino and the Italian province of Varese.

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   Monte San Giorgio: A fossil of Bobasatrania is on display at the Fossil Museum in Meride. This fossil was found in 1958 during excavations at the Mirigioli site on Monte San Giorgio. It is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish. The rocks of Monte San Giorgio contain a rich quantity of fossils from the Triassic Period (250–230 million years ago). Millions of years ago, the seabed of a subtropical lagoon was uplifted and became a mountain: Monte San Giorgio.

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   Monte San Giorgio: The Fossil Museum in Meride displays a mining cart. This small wagon was used to transport the oil shale from Monte San Giorgio to a small factory in Meride. The oil shale was mined to extract mineral oil; this oil is called 'Saurolo' and was used to treat skin conditions. The layers of the oil shale on Monte San Giorgio were also rich in fossils. The Fossil Museum in Meride is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Monte San Giorgio.

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   Monte San Giorgio: A fossil of Sulcirostra alpina is on display at the Fossil Museum in Meride. Monte San Giorgio was not the mountain that we know today, but the seabed of a subtropical lagoon, partially separated from the open sea by an offshore reef, sandbanks and several small islands. Monte San Giorgio was created during the formation of the Swiss Alps millions of years ago. The collision between the continents of Africa and Europe pushed up the Earth's crust, which led to the creation of mountains and lakes.

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   Monte San Giorgio started to rise about 95 million years ago: the African continent began to move northwards, compressing the Eurasian continent. The force of the collision caused a vast number of deformations, including in the area around Monte San Giorgio. An ancient seabed was pushed upwards and rose from the water, and as a result, the Alps were formed, including Monte San Giorgio and the surrounding mountains; a process of millions of years. This process is still ongoing.

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    Monte San Giorgio: This marine fossil found on Monte San Giorgio is on display at the Fossil Museum in Meride, Switzerland. Although the fossils found on Monte San Giorgio are mostly of marine animals, fossils containing the remains of terrestrial plants, plants that grew on land, were also discovered. This indicates the presence of nearby islands or mainland. Monte San Giorgio is, together with the Italian mountains Monte Orsa and Poncione d'Arzo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Poncione d'Arzo is also known as Monte Pravello.

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    Monte San Giorgio: This fossil of Neusticosaurus peyeri was discovered in 2003 at the excavation site Acqua del Ghiffo on Monte San Giorgio. This fossil is on display in the Museo dei Fossili del Monte San Giorgio, the Fossil Museum in Meride. This species was named after the anatomist and paleontologist Bernhard Peyer (1885–1963) from the University of Zurich. He did extensive research on Monte San Giorgio and contributed greatly to the knowledge of Triassic reptiles.