Pietra di Bismantova
The Pietra di Bismantova is a geological formation in the Reggiano Apennines, in the comune of Castelnovo ne' Monti, province of Reggio Emilia, Central Italy, c. from Reggio Emilia. It has the shape of a narrow, quasi-cylindrical plateau whose steep walls emerge as an isolated spur from the nearby hills. The top has an elevation of above sea level. It is included in the National Park of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano.
The spur is composed of yellowish calcarenite over a marl basement, all formed in the Miocene as a sea bottom. It includes fossils belonging to a tropical environment. It is surrounded by woods, mostly of hazel trees.
The Pietra di Bismantova is mentioned by Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy.
