Pietra di Bismantova

The Pietra di Bismantova is a geological formation in the Reggiano Apennines, in the comune of Castelnovo ne' Monti, province of Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy, c. 45 kilometres from Reggio Emilia. It has the shape of a narrow, quasi-cylindrical plateau whose steep walls emerge 300 metres as an isolated spur from the nearby hills. The top has an elevation of 1,047 metres above sea level. It is included in the National Park of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano.

The spur is composed of yellowish calcarenite over a marl basement, all formed in the Miocene as a sea bottom. It includes fossils belonging to a tropical environment. It is surrounded by woods, mostly of hazel trees.