The Berici Hills ('Colli Berici') are a group of hills, a special formation in the alluvial plain on which stands

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a thr ...

, originated on the bottom of an ancient sea over at least a hundred million years. Important for the top area is the

Monte Berico The Church of St. Mary of Mount Berico ( it, Basilica di S. Maria di Monte Berico) is a Roman Catholic and minor basilica in Vicenza, northern Italy. The church is a Marian shrine, and stands at the top of a hill which overlooks the city. Or ...

Geography

The Berici Hills stand out, south of Vicenza, with the shape of a parallelogram, whose major axis is oriented towards the Northeast. It is about , and with a total area of about 165

km² Square kilometre ( International spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or square kilometer (American spelling), symbol km2, is a multiple of the square metre, the SI unit of area or surface area. 1 km2 is equa ...

. The profile is evenly curved, compact and not particularly high on the level of the plain. The edges are jagged enough on each side, with alternating indentations and sinuosity or with simple engravings on the sides, the "scaranti". The sides are all pretty sweet and straight, except for the southeast side, which shows a nearly continuous sequence of nude and vertical cliffs. Important place of recreation for many of the weekend vicentini is the lake that lies at the heart of high hills, the Fimon Lake.

Geology

The rocks, in most carbonatic, which consists of the backbone of the Colli Berici lead to attach to a marine hills. Moreover, the discovery of several bodies, animals and plants, as

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

(molluscs, sea urchins, corals, algae, etc.).. It is assumed that the sequence of rock layers is the result of a slow and steady process of deposition of sand, mud and fragments of shells on the bottom of a sea.

Flora

The flora is characterized by berica thermophilous vegetation, the environment a hot climate, or microterme, usually live at altitudes well above. This situation is due to the huge climate changes which has undergone the place over millions of years: in

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

is probably formed a flora microterma, approached a thermophilous vegetation in the immediately subsequent to a progressive warming of the globe.

Towns of Berici Hills

* Alonte *

Arcugnano Arcugnano is a town in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, north-eastern Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranea ...

* Barbarano Vicentino * Brendola *

Castegnero Castegnero is a town in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, northern Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Se ...

* Grancona *

Longare Longare is a town in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its t ...

Lonigo Lonigo is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, northern Italy, its population counts around 16,400 inhabitants.Source: ISTAT - Bilancio demografico al 31/12/200 In its ''frazione'' of Bagnolo is the Villa Pisani, a Renaissanc ...

Mossano Mossano is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Barbarano Mossano in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, noerth-eastern Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. I ...

* Nanto *

Orgiano Orgiano is a town in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, northern Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, ...

* San Germano dei Berici * Sossano * Villaga * Zovencedo Hills of Italy {{Veneto-geo-stub