"ciciu del villar" natural area

 park, amusement ride, nature conservation park / area, interesting place

In the language og Piemontese people the word "ciciu" means a puppet.

On the foothills of Monte San Bernardo, near the village of Villar San Constanzo, mother Nature created a very interesting area of earth pyramids, rock towers which have shapes like funghi. These formations are not so uncommon in Alps, but in other similar places you see many needles, covered by "hats" on a steep, hardly accessible terrain, while here you will find "gentle", not very high rock formations in a less inclined forrest or even on the upper part of meadows. They are easily accessible and a promenade path is winding among them.

Rock towers have "hats" made of very solid, erosion resistant rocks (gneiss), while their "legs" are made of much softer sandstones. The "hat" is shielding the whole structure, preventing erosion. If such a tower collapses, losing its hat, the remains of tower will soon get eroded.

The whole area is today protected as a natural parc, on a quarter of square kilometer some 479 rock formations are registered.