Photos

The pilgrimage church of Maria Saal in the middle of the photo dates back to the 17 century. It is reknown for its painting of the Virgin holding err ..., an umbrella!

However pictoresque against the backdrop of the Dolomite mountains it may seem, the church is not the intended centerpiece of the photo. Instead, you may want to pay closer attention to the row of brownish structures at the lower end of the photo. These are the famous earth pyramids of Ritten - one of the natural wonders of Alto Adige/South Tyrol.

The pyramids are tall stalactite-like structures, most of them covered by a stone on top. The building material for the pyramids comes from moraine clay deposits spread all over the mountain. When dry, the clay becomes as hard as stone. On the other hand, when dampened, it forms porridge-like substances which slip and flow downhill. Over time, the saturated earth slides down into the stream below and is washed away. The constant and continuous slippage, however, is temporarily halted when the erosion encounters an area covered by forest, where the underlying ground is so dry that it is rock hard. The encounter prevents further slippage. Wherever the moraine contains larger stones which keep the earth underneath dry and hard, earth pyramids are formed by, literarlly, being "washed" or, geologically speaking, eroded out of the cliffs. The higher the cliff and and the higher up a suitable stone is found, the taller and mightier the emerging pyramid will become. Some structures reach up to 15 metres in height.

Becasue so many factors interact in the process of creation of an earth pyramid, it is impossible to predict how long time will be required for it to form. Moreover, it is virtually impossible to tell how old a particular pyramid is or how long it will last. The only thing that can be told with certainty is that the pyramid will gradually disappear as soon as the covering stone falls off. However, as one pyramid disappears, new structures will emerge elsewhere in the cliff, a process which will go on indefinitely as long as the maraine clay continues to provide the raw material.

For obvious reasons, most people are prohibited from coming close to the pyramids in Ritten. You can enjoy the sight of the great wonderwork of nature from a distance only. However, earth pyramids similar to those of Ritten can be found elsewhere in Alto Adige/South Tyrol. I know at least four other locations. If structures such as these can be found elsewhere in the world remains a mystery to me. I tried to gather some intellegince on other possible places, however, all references seem to point to those found in South Tyrol only. If you are aware of other locations, kindly let me know.

Finally, some people may wonder if Gaudi actually took a trip to South Tyrol to behold the earth pyramids before creating the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona? I do not know, folks.