Animals are certainly the most widely represented subject in world rock art since the Upper Paleolithic. Their importance is due to the close relationship they had with human groups, to whom they provided food, labor and draught power and, over time, also secondary products necessary for survival.
The human-animal relationship, therefore, has always been highly interdependent and not only at the economic level. Animals, in fact, have also played an ideological role, becoming the subjects entrusted with representing reality or the protagonists of myths spread across wide territories and shared by several cultural circles.
The depictions also reflect the diversity of the environments in which rock art was created: often different species take on the same meaning in different environments.
The analysis of animal figures in rock art can therefore make an interesting contribution to understanding the human-animal relationship at the economic, ideological, and social levels, as well as to reconstructing the paleoenvironment and the climate history of regions across different periods.
Venue: Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici, Città della Cultura, via Marconi 7 – CAPO DI PONTE (Bs), Valcamonica, ITALY
Date: 22-23-24 October 2026
Official languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese. (Note for authors: all PowerPoint presentations must also include English subtitles)
Contacts: Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici
tel. +39 0364 42091 email: valcamonica.symposium@ccsp.it
SUMMARY PROGRAM (Download here the detailed program)
Thursday, 22 October 2026
09:00 Secretariat opens and participant registration
09:30 Welcome, institutional greetings and opening of the conference proceedings
10:00 Session 1: Animals in narrative or functional scenes (hunting, sexual scenes, ploughing, transport and related activities)
13:00 Lunch
14:20 Session 1: Animals in narrative or functional scenes (hunting, sexual scenes, ploughing, transport and related activities)
18:30 Welcome aperitif offered to speakers and participants, exhibition openings and poster session
Friday, 23 October 2026
09:30 Visit to the National Park of Rock Engravings of Naquane
13:00 Lunch
14:20 Session 2: Animals and paleoenvironment
16:40 Session 3: Aquatic fauna
Saturday, 24 October 2026
09:30 Session 4: Animals in myth and cosmology
13:10 Lunch
14:30 Session 5: Hybrid or anthropo-zoomorphic beings
16:50 General discussion
17:10 Closing of the conference proceedings
Transport guide for reaching and getting around Valle Camonica
We recommend looking into the different transport options available as soon as possible.
Valle Camonica is served by public transport, particularly buses and trains, but local services within the area are limited. Once you arrive in the valley, the most practical way to get around is by car; anyone without their own vehicle should therefore consider renting one.
The venue of the XXIX Valcamonica Symposium is the same as that of the Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici, at Via Marconi 7, Capo di Ponte (BS).
Airports
Valle Camonica can be reached from the following airports:
Bergamo – Orio al Serio (90 km);
Milan Linate (140 km);
Milan Malpensa (190 km).
Those arriving from airports other than those listed can reach Brescia and continue to Capo di Ponte by train or bus.
Car rental
Due to the layout of the area, the limited frequency of public transport, and the distribution of accommodation facilities, renting a car is the most convenient solution for getting around Valle Camonica. To avoid transfers and travel difficulties, we recommend renting a car directly at the terminal of your arrival airport and returning it at the same location or at your departure point. For more information: https://www.rentalcars.com/en/
Taxi service
Indicative costs for a one-way taxi ride, to be paid directly to the driver:
from Orio al Serio International Airport (Milan–Bergamo) to Capo di Ponte: €150.
from Linate International Airport (Milan) to Capo di Ponte: €230.
from Malpensa International Airport (Milan) to Capo di Ponte: €310.
Local trains
Brescia → Capo di Ponte: direct, no changes, about 2 hr.
Bergamo → Capo di Ponte: 1 change in Brescia, about 3 hr 40 min.
Milan Centrale → Capo di Ponte: 1 change in Brescia, about 3 hr40 min.
For up-to-date information on timetables and routes, please consult Trenord: http://www.trenord.it/
Other options
For additional integrated mobility options, please consult the website: http://www.muoversi.regione.lombardia.it/planner/
Hotels and B&Bs in Capo di Ponte
GraffitiPark Hotel Restaurant (https://graffitipark.eu/)
Hotel Cumilì, Via Stazione 1(link)
Casa Visnenza Bed & Breakfast, Via San Faustino 7 – Cemmo hamlet, 25044 Capo di Ponte (link)
B&B San Rocco, Via XXV Aprile (link)
La casa dei Ruc, VIA RONCHI D’IZIR, 6 (link)
LA CASA Di Nonno Angelo, Via Italia, 67 A (link)
I Sei Petali Apartment, 5 Via Aldo Moro (link)
Maison Enchantée, Via sante, 4 (link)
B&B La Rosa Celtica, Via Colombera 16 (link)
Ca Del Tita, 12 Via Annunciata Cocchetti (link)
Le Rive nel bosco, Via Monastero n. 3 (link)