G. Stefanini — Geological History of Yenetia. 299 



Art. XXI Y. — Outline of the Geological History of Yenetia 

 during the Neogene ;^ bj Giuseppe Stefanini. 



At this time, when a fierce struggle is in progress and most 

 of the European nations are fighting to return to the geographic 

 and natural limits of their frontiers, it is perhaps not without 

 interest to cast a glance at the geological history of one of the 

 most important battle-fields, one, where, perhaps, the struggle 

 is fought most fiercely from the point of view of natural diffi- 

 culties, namely the region of Yenetia. 



The ideas which I am going to set forth rapidly are a resume, 

 or rather the conclusions of a somewhat exhaustive memoir, 

 which was published more than a year ago, and which is the 

 fruit of studies which have taken many years of work.f 



If, then, from the following pages, based entirely upon 

 objective studies, made without any foreign prejudice regard- 

 ing the purely geological subject which I treated, the reader 

 will be led to draw the conclusion that the Trentino and Yal- 

 sugana, from the geological point of view (as well as from the 

 ethnological point of view), are inseparably attached to the 

 Yenetian region, having been a part, since the most remote 

 time, of the same maritime basin, one cannot accuse me of 

 having been guilty of unscientific prejudices or of having 

 wished to bring forward proofs in support of a national issue, 

 which, moreover, has no need of such arguments for its support. 



Nature and Extent of the Neogene Deposits in Yenetia. 



The JS^eogene series is represented in the Yenetian region 

 by its two series — the Miocene and the Pliocene — in very 

 different proportions. The Miocene sediments occupy, all told, 

 an extent of approximately 360 square kilometers ; the Plio- 

 cene, on the contrary, is represented by only a very small rem- 

 nant of an almost inappreciable extent in the province of 

 Treviso, to which can be added two others, likewise very 

 restricted, in the province of Brescia. The maxirmmi thick- 

 ness of Miocene beds in central Yenetia — where the complete 

 series is represented — totals perhaps 3000 to 3500 meters, while 

 the Pliocene is only a hundred meters in thickness. 



All of these deposits, from the lithologic point of view, pre- 

 sent a very monotonous /(:^6'^^^/ they are clastic deposits, marly 

 or molassic,:j; originating evidently from the denudation of a 



* Communicated by Prof. Edward W. Berry ; translated by George E. 

 Dorsey. 



f Memorie dell' Institnto Geologic© della E. Universita di Padova, vol. 

 iii, 1915. 



X The term molasse is applied to marine, brackish and freshwater littoral, 

 either calcareous or argillaceous rocks, easily worked, with interbedded con- 

 glomeratic lenses, characteristic of the Alpine region during periods of oscilla- 

 tion of the strand. 



