Bold claim: a staggering trove of dinosaur footprints—thousands in number—has been uncovered on a sheer rock face in northern Italy, dating back roughly 210 million years. This remarkable find sits within Stelvio National Park, where researchers estimate the footprint cluster could exceed 20,000 individual marks spanning about three miles. Some prints reach widths of up to 40 centimeters and even display claw impressions, making the discovery truly spectacular.
The discovery was made in September by wildlife photographer Elio Della Ferrera, who was preparing to shoot deer and vultures when his lens captured the vertical cliff face above a nearby road. He recalls the moment as less about stumbling upon footprints and more about encountering an enormous quantity: “There are really tens of thousands of prints up there, more or less well-preserved.” Even though the wall is largely shaded and the prints are relatively high up, a powerful camera made the features discernible.
Paleontologist Cristiano Dal Sasso of Milan’s Natural History Museum commented that this site ranks among Italy’s largest and oldest footprint concentrations and is one of the most striking he has seen in his 35 years in the field. He notes the tracks clearly show individuals moving at a slow, calm, rhythmic pace rather than running.
Geographically, the prints lie near the park’s entrance, about a mile from the mountain town of Bormio, which is set to host alpine skiing during the upcoming Winter Olympics in February.
Experts suggest the impressions were made by herds of long-necked herbivores—likely plateosaurids—during the Triassic period, more than 200 million years ago, when the region was a warm lagoon. The sedimentary conditions would have favored dinosaur movement along coastal beaches, leaving tracks in soft, waterlogged mud near the shoreline.
