ABOUT 300 MILLION YEARS AGO, WHEN THERE WAS ONLY ONE CONTINENT ON EARTH CALLED PANGAEA, A VOLCANO EXPLODED ERUPTING AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL AND RELEASING AN ENERGY EQUAL TO 250 ATOMIC BOMBS
Between 60 and 30 million years ago, the same processes that formed the Alps uplifted and rotated the part of the earth’s crust where the exploded volcano was located, exposing its feeding system, down to a depth of about 30 km. This is unique in the world!
The Supervolcano area is part of the Sesia Val Grande Geopark, which was recognised by UNESCO on 5 September 2013 and became, in November 2015, “UNESCO Global Geoparks”, the new priority programme on a par with World Heritage, Biosphere Reserves and Intangible Heritage.
It can be seen in an area encompassing Valsesia and Valsessera, reaching as far as Lake Maggiore. To promote its geological uniqueness, the “Supervulcano Valsesia” geotourism Association was established in 2011, which changed its name to “Sesia Val Grande Geopark” in 2017.