Museo Civico dei Fossili di Besano

The Besano Fossil Museum, which has recently undergone a new layout, exhibits a significant part of the exceptional finds from the UNESCO site of Monte San Giorgio, one of the most important marine fossil deposits in the world from the Middle Triassic period (247-237 million years ago). A visit to the Museum is a window on a distant past when, in the warm waters of a tropical sea, here lived the creatures that we can now admire fossilised: splendid ammonites, several species of fish as well as marine reptiles and some terrestrial ones. Among the fossil remains, terrestrial plants have also been found, which are sure evidence of the existence of land in the vicinity of the ancient sea.

The most spectacular find here is that of the only specimen of Besanosaurus (Besanosaurus leptorhyncus), an ichthyosaur whose complete skeleton reaches almost six metres.

New resin reproductions also enrich the tour, with models made in accordance with the latest palaeontological research data: for example, one can imagine the colour and texture of the skin and immediately understand the movement capabilities of some of the most important fossils preserved in Besano.