30 October 2025
Zato supports local heritage: the “Cave Bear” project inaugurated in Prevalle
We are proud to have contributed to the realization of the “Cave Bear” project in Prevalle, an initiative of great value for the protection and promotion of the Buco del Frate Natural Monument and Monte Budellone, two symbolic places of the environmental and historical heritage of the province of Brescia.
What is the “Buco del Frate” in Prevalle, Italy?
The Buco del Frate is a karst cave located on Monte Budellone, in the municipality of Prevalle. It is considered one of the most important cavities in Lombardy, protected as a regional natural monument and registered in the Lombard Speleological Cadastre as cavity no. 1.
The cave represents a site of great scientific and paleontological interest. Archaeological excavations, conducted between 1954 and 1970, have yielded a rich deposit of fossil remains: micromammals and large Pleistocene carnivores, including a cave bear, Ursus spelaeus.
The research and collections are documented at the Valle Sabbia Archaeological Museum in Gavardo, which, together with the Municipality of Prevalle and the Ecomuseo del Botticino, promoted the recent enhancement project.
Our contribution as an integral part of the corporate mission
Our support for this project stems from a deep conviction: promoting the culture and identity of the territory is an integral part of our corporate mission.
This principle, promoted under the guidance of our ownership and our CEO Valerio Zanaglio, aligns perfectly with the pillars of corporate culture and responsible resource use defined in Zato’s sustainability strategy, managed and coordinated by our ESG Manager Alessandra Bresciani.
This commitment guides every initiative we undertake and reflects the desire to concretely contribute to the valorization of the territory in which we operate.
The reconstruction of the Ursus Spelaeus skeleton
The initiative led to the complete reconstruction of the skeleton of a cave bear from over 40,000 years ago, originating precisely from the Buco del Frate.
The work is now displayed in a dedicated room at the Prevalle Town Hall, set up thanks also to our contribution. The new reconstruction was officially presented in October 2025 at Palazzo Morani, in an event attended by institutional representatives, including the Honourable Simona Bordonali and Regional Councillor Floriano Massardi.
The presence of Ursus spelaeus in the Buco del Frate places this cave among the key sites in the Alpine and Pre-Alpine arc for the study of large glacial mammals: in the scientific field, it is cited among the main Italian contexts with remains of the cave bear.
