Fossil Traces Route in Monsagro

Journey

Circular

Way

On foot (1 h.)

Length

1.5 kms.

Recommended

spring
summer
autumn
winter

Difficulty of the route

Low

The identity of Monsagro is related to the fossil traces that we easily discover on a good part of the facades of its houses, streets and fountains. Vestiges of organisms that inhabited a frigid sea that more than 450 million years ago covered a large part of the peninsula, located, at that time, very close to the South Pole.

The quartzites, abundant in the screes that surround Monsagro, have originated from the compaction and deformation of the sandy bottoms of that sea of shallow waters from the Ordovician period, which the inhabitants of Monsagro have incorporated into the construction of their homes. There were recorded traces of living organisms such as Trilobites, now extinct, worms and other marine species, as well as natural effects such as wave undulations.

The fossil traces of Trilobites, so abundant in the Ordovician period, have given rise to formations such as Cruzianas, which reflect their movements, or Rusophycus , which represent rest areas. Marine worms have left footprints such as Skolithos , vertical galleries used for habitation and cone-shaped structures called Daedalus.

We suggest you take a very original urban route to discover and explore the ancient seabed from four hundred and fifty million years ago and whose traces have become the aesthetic expression that identifies the urban landscape of Monsagro.

Calle Francia stands out for both the quality and the variety and quantity of traces that adorn all its facades and balconies from start to finish. La Calleja del Chorro keeps within its walls an invaluable specimen with multiple Cruzianas , the beauty and clarity of the different layouts made by the trilobites, make this a unique specimen. Calle Carreras is another clear example of the diversity of fossil footprints that we can find in Monsagro.