Database 
Map 
Where stone becomes culture
The extraordinary geodiversity of the Geopark’s territory, combined with its environmental diversity, has had a significant influence on human life and activities.
Sesia Val Grande Geopark
The Sesia Val Grande Geopark was recognised by UNESCO on 5 September 2013; since 17 November 2015, it has been a “UNESCO Global Geopark”, the new priority programme – on a par with World Heritage Sites,Biosphere Reserves and Intangible Cultural Heritage – ratified during the 38th UNESCO General Conference by the 195 Member States in 2017.
The geopark is administered and managed by the Val Grande National Park and the Sesia Val Grande Geopark Geotourism Association, which have been joined since 2016 by the Valsesia Protected Areas Management Authority. Scientific coordination is provided by the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Turin.
Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark
- Year of recognition:2013
- Region:Piemonte
- Provinces:Vercelli, VCO, Novara, Biella
- Municipalities in the area:106
- Geopark Area:2204 km2
- Altitude:from 190 to 4,554 m a.s.l.
- Area population:192.616
- Population density:88 inhabitants/km²
The Geosites
There are 68 geosites within the Sesia Val Grande Geopark. A Geopark must include a certain number of geological sites of particular importance in terms of scientific quality, rarity, aesthetic significance or educational value.
Most of the sites within a Geopark’s territory must form part of the geological heritage, but they may also be of archaeological, natural, historical or cultural interest.
Geotourism itineraries
There are currently 16 geotourism routes in the Sesia Val Grande Geopark. These are routes – usually hiking trails – designed to showcase the geological heritage, promote the Earth sciences, encourage geotourism and, more generally, raise public awareness of environmental issues.
The Supervolcano
In the heart of the Western Alps lies the fossilised remains of a supervolcano, revealing its deepest parts. Around 300 million years ago, when there was a single continent on Earth called Pangaea, a volcano erupted, spewing out an immense quantity of material and releasing energy equivalent to 250 atomic bombs.
Between 60 and 30 million years ago, the same processes that formed the Alps lifted and rotated the section of the Earth’s crust where the erupted volcano was located, revealing its magma chamber down to a depth of around 30 km: this is a phenomenon unique in the world!
Evidence of its presence can be seen in an area stretching from Valsesia and Valsessera right up to the shores of Lake Maggiore.
sesiavalgrande_geopark
