At the eastern edge of the Matese Plateau, the PaleoLab in Pietraroja hides an exciting experience: a magical elevator capable of transporting you back in time, to a past 100 million years ago, when the Matese was a tropical lagoon populated by fish and reptiles. Among them, also a small dinosaur: the Scypionix Samniticus, for friends "Cyrus." This is the first complete dinosaur specimen found in Italy, the find, a few tens of centimeters long from snout to tail, constitutes an unprecedented case among dinosaur fossils in that it has, still clearly visible, parts of muscles in the shoulders and at the base of the tail, as well as traces of intestines and even liver. Designed by Paco Lanciano’s Mizar srl, this innovative educational installation is the centerpiece of a travel opportunity with many attractions. The PaleoLab, intended primarily for school audiences but also usable by a target audience of families and ecotourists, allows, through the use of state-of-the-art technology, a concise and enjoyable view of a complex and fascinating evolutionary journey, populated by silent witnesses (the fossils) and a colorful and dynamic series of panels, 3D reconstructions, films and impressive models.
