The earth pyramids of Ritten

The earth pyramids of Ritten (German: Erdpyramiden am Ritten; Italian: Piramidi di terra del Renon [piˈraːmidi di ˈtɛrra del reˈnon]) are a natural monument that is located on the Ritten, a plateau not far from Bolzano in northern Italy. Earth pyramids are a fairly widespread phenomenon that exist in various locations, such as South Tyrol and Platten.

The original name in this area for these earth pyramids is Lahntürme, i.e., landslide towers.[1] They originate from glacial moraine rocks. The columns of the pyramids may be more or less elongated, and the higher they are, the thinner they get, ending usually with a stone cover. These earth pyramids are constantly evolving, continuously eroding, and will possibly collapse and make way for new formations.

References

  1. ^ Cfr. Paul Stacul, Die erste Erwähnung der Südtiroler Erdpyramiden (The first mention of the South Tyrolean earth pyramides), in "Der Schlern", 51, 1977, pp. 675-678.

Further reading

46°33′13.5″N 11°28′5.7″E / 46.553750°N 11.468250°E / 46.553750; 11.468250