The Prun quarries are one of the many natural treasures found in the Valpolicella area. This natural site is located on the slopes of Mount Fane near Negrar. In these quarries, you can find the pink scaglia, an easily quarried stone known as "Prun stone."
Nowadays these quarries are no longer used, but throughout history they were used for homes and rustic structures built such as stables, barns and porches to store tools.
Prun Cave: a landscape monument built partly by man and partly by nature
The construction of these quarries began primarily to extract slabs of the renowned Prun stone. These natural slabs are known for their reddish-white color, which is facilitated by the presence of clay separating the layers. Prun stone was crucial to the town as a natural economic resource that supported national and international trade in the area.
While nature has shaped the geomorphology of the rocks, man has also contributed to their excavation, which lasted from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, making the Valpolicella area important for tourism as well.
Prun Cave: stone extraction dates back to the Middle Ages
The tunnels in the Valpolicella mountains were dug manually, removing the less consistent layers. These were removed using wedges and picks, creating tunnels by separating the various layers of stratification.
Quarrying in the Valpolicella area has always been an activity that has been part of the history of the Veronese. In fact, the first mention of the term "stone quarry" dates back to 1204, on the property of a certain Capavo in the hamlet of Torbe. The intertwining of quarries and tunnels has brought an added charm to the landscape of the Negrar Valley.
The villages of the Valpolicella area built with Prun stone
In Valpolicella area (Veneto) In the Negrar and surrounding areas, especially in the mountainous regions, the Prun quarries have created a distinctive architecture unlike any other in Italy. The strong contrasts of light and dark colors have given it a unique charm, thanks to the stone used from the foundations to the roof covering.
The quarrymen of Valpolicella have coined specific terms for each layer of stone. Depending on the stone's technical characteristics, color, thickness, and location, there are names like mejòn, lòa, biancòn, rossòn, lastìna, and many others. This specific vocabulary was created to help the various quarrymen communicate during extraction.
The caves can be explored for an Indiana Jones-style adventure.
The Prun Caves can still be visited today to experience an adventure and feel like explorers for once like the famous archaeologist Indiana JonesDuring these itineraries you can discover testimonies of daily life in the past such as wash houses, fountains, shrines, mills, religious buildings and dovecote towers.
Unfortunately, the organized tours inside these tunnels are not signposted. Each path is marked with a different color so that each tourist can choose to walk only a portion of it. However, it's important to keep in mind that venturing inside the caves alone is prohibited. To organize an adventurous trip to the Caves, always contact the cultural association "La Malga" through their dedicated website (www.prun.it).
The various itineraries vary in length, from the easiest half-hour to the longest, averaging four and a half hours. An interesting way to discover historic sites in the Verona area.
