Storia della scoperta e breve cronistoria delle ricerche

Abstract

The traditional tale, which later became a legend, told of mysterious footprints imprinted “in the rock” or “in the lava”, left by a mysterious, supernatural being, perhaps “the devil”, who was able to walk on the burning volcanic deposit without damage. Over time, this legend has been gradually replaced first by a series of unfounded assumptions and finally by an even more fascinating scientific reality: the “Devil's Trails” (“Ciampate del diavolo”) are fossilized footprints of men and animals who lived in prehistoric times. In this paper, the twenty-year history and steps of scientific research which have transformed the popular legend into an astonishing scientific reality are retraced, also through the words of the protagonists.