Unique Rock Formations In Italy

Written by Madeline Jhawar

My favorite rock from Italy is the one I got set at Scavia after my husband proposed on our terrace in Milan. But actually this post is about some very unique and (mostly) natural rock formations worth visiting. Bonus: they’re free, and not closed on Mondays.

“Elephant rock” by Fotopusch used with permission

Best Unique Rock formations in Italy For Daydreaming

Sardinia is sort of known for animal-shaped rocks: check out this giant bear, and the elephant above. I find the rocks in the La Maddalena archipelago, off Sardinia’s northern tip, particularly animal-laden. I can’t not see animals when looking at them (I mean, that’s obviously a polar bear below, right?).

Photo of Polar Bear in La Maddalena by Sanjay

Most Photographed Rocks

The three faraglioni (Stella, Mezzo, and Scupolo) rise from the sea off the island of Capri, which itself is off the Amalfi Coast and close to Naples. Take a boat out, and kiss your lover as you pass through the arch. This is probably the most accessible unique rock formation in Italy for a typical itinerary.

Faraglioni capri flickr paul tuna turner

“Capri – Faraglioni Rocks 2” by Paul Turner used with permission

Most Artistic

Abruzzo’s La Morgia is a limestone rock-island in the middle of the countryside sort of kind of near Rome, famous for the sculpture that bridges its notch. The notch was made by dynamite during limestone mining, and Greek artist Costas Varotsos added the artwork: twenty meters wide and eleven meters high, the sculpture is made of steel and green glass and lit from behind, making it quite a landmark.

Photo by Maxbellisario via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Most Fabled

Sicily is, of course, the Island of the Cyclops in Homer’s famous Odyssey. But the three tall column-shaped islands off the small town of Aci Trezza, on Sicily’s east coast, are referred to as the Islands of the Cyclops by the locals: they were allegedly the stones thrown at Odysseus.