In a limestone cave in the Valpolicella hills northwest of Verona, archaeologists found painted stones dating to approximately 40,000 years ago — ochre figures of a shaman with antlers and a running animal, executed with intentional artistic purpose. These are among the oldest examples of figurative art in all of Europe, challenging the long-held belief that cave art began in Franco-Cantabria (Lascaux, Chauvet). The Fumane cave also preserved 50,000 years of continuous human habitation — Neanderthal layers overlapping with early Homo sapiens layers — making it one of the most important prehistoric sites in the Mediterranean. The cave is open for guided visits in summer and offers something no art museum can: the space where creativity itself was born. Verona guide →
Plan my Verona trip →The painted stones: Flat limestone slabs painted with red ochre — a figure interpreted as a "shaman" wearing antlers or an animal-head headdress, and an animal (possibly a horse or bovid) in motion. The painting technique uses mineral ochre ground to powder and mixed with a binding agent. The stones are now in the Museo di Storia Naturale di Verona (Palazzo Pompei, Lungadige — €6, worth visiting). The stratigraphic sequence: The cave preserves layers from 100,000 to 30,000 years ago — Neanderthal tools, Homo sapiens tools, the transition between the two species. Shells pierced for jewelry (among the oldest in Europe), ochre processing stones, animal bones with cut marks showing butchery techniques.
Guided visits are available in summer (June-September, weekends) organized by the Università di Ferrara archaeological team. Check grottadifumane.eu for dates and booking. €5-10. The cave itself is a wide, south-facing rock shelter with excellent natural light — you understand immediately why humans chose to live here for 70,000 years. Outside summer: the cave exterior is visible year-round (free), and the Verona natural history museum displays the key finds.
Location: Fumane, Valpolicella (20min northwest of Verona). Getting there: car from Verona (20min). Combine with: Verona (Arena, Juliet's balcony), Valpolicella wine tasting (the cave is IN wine country — visit a cantina after), Lake Garda (20min west).