Frasassi Gorge and the Frasassi Venus

Gola di Frasassi is a deep, narrow gorge almost 3 km long, dug out by the Sentino river between the limestone walls of Monte Frasassi and Monte Vallemontagnana.
Cut into the walls of the gorge is a series of caves that have been frequented by humans throughout prehistory and history.
The Frasassi caves were not only used as temporary dwellings and shelters, but were often frequented as places of worship from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age.

The Cave of the Blessed Virgin of Frasassi is the site of one of the oldest and most important manifestations of Palaeolithic art in Italy. Discovered by chance in 2008, the Venus of Frasassi is a figurine dating from 28,000 to 20,000 years ago. Carved out of a stalactite fragment, the tiny statue is 8.7 centimetres in length and weighs just over 60 grams. The small but imposing image is that of a female form in the unusual pose of outstretched forearms, with the tips bent as if in prayer or making an offering.
The Venus of Frasassi is held at the National Archaeological Museum of the Marche Region in Ancona. The Genga museum has a copy of the figurine along with an auto-stereoscopic screen on which it is displayed in 3D – the Virtual Venus.