The entire territory of the municipality of Alta Valle Intelvi welcomes these erratic boulders full of charm and mystery.
These are large rocks carried downstream by a glacier and easily distinguishable from the surrounding area which have spherical hollows (the cupels) connected on several occasions by channels.
Similar manifestations of rock art have been found in other parts of the world and various hypotheses have long caused scholars to debate the meaning of these artistic manifestations.
The most reliable explanation states that: “the stones represent places of worship, a sort of altars intended for fertility rites or for the cult of ancestors; the cupels would therefore constitute the place in which to place consecrated liquids or light votive flames” (1)
Since the signs on these boulders do not allow us to establish a certain dating, it is conceivable that these artefacts date back to prehistoric and protohistoric periods.
Examples that are easily reachable in Alta Valle Intelvi are:
- Inside the Lanzo Golf Club there are three boulders: a small one visible at the entrance; a second, already designed by V. Barelli, who called it “Masso Capanna”, 6 meters long and about 4 meters high, with 11 cupels and a cross; the third near hole 8, partly destroyed by the quarrymen, which only retains a cross, perhaps modern.
- In the Vercea area, reachable from the road to Fonte Paraviso, there is a grandiose boulder with various engravings.
- Pian d'Orano boulder, with numerous cupels and 5 crosses.
[…]
- Near the COF car park there is a large boulder, called "Sasso Capanna" on old postcards because a small brick shelter was placed against it.
- Masso near the Bull of Monte Caslè, also known as "the throne", with 58 cupels.
- Masso del Pinzernone or near the Gnima source, 4 x 7.8 x 3.50 meters high, with 90 cupels and some crosses. (2)
(2) Uboldi M., “The Caslè of Ramponio Verna. Guide to places and excavations”, 2011, Ed. Noto (Co) – pag. 50;
Sources:
- Uboldi M., “The Caslè of Ramponio Verna. Guide to places and excavations”, 2011, Ed. Noto (Co);
- Barelli V., The cuppelli-shaped stones of the Piano delle Noci, in “Archaeological Journal of the Province of Como”, 18, 1880;
- Barelli V., Andrews JB, Recent pre-Roman discoveries near Lanzo d'Intelvi, in “Rivista Archeologica della Provincia di Como”, 24, 1883;
- Barelli V., Recent discoveries of prehistoric antiquities: I. cuppelliform monolith of Oran near Lanzo d'Intelvi, in “Rivista Archeologica della Provincia di Como”, 26, 1884;
- Magni A., Bowl stones, in “Rivista Archeologica della Provincia di Como”, 51, 1906;
- Andina A., Cuppelli-shaped boulders, in “Rivista Archeologica della Provincia di Como”, 73-75, 1916;
- Magni A., The Avelli boulders of the Comense region, in “Rivista Archeologica della Provincia di Como”, 82-84, 1922.
