Since March 26th, the ICP Museum hosts the exhibition “Què tenim sota els peus? 550 milions d’anys d’evolució a Ponent i el Pirineu”.
Among the 120 fossils and rocks on display is one of the oldest rocks in Catalonia, from the axial Pyrenees and dating back 550 million years; the oldest fossil, dating back 440 million years, found in Pallars Sobirà; and the first known flowering plant, Montsechia, originating from Montsec. The exhibition also features reconstructions of 5 extinct animals, including a unique marine reptile found in Alòs de Balaguer, which is unique in Catalonia.
The objective of the exhibition is to showcase the great geological and biological diversity of the Lleida region, a territory rich in this regard and home to an internationally recognized figure such as the UNESCO Global Geopark Origins. The exhibition specifically highlights the pioneering work of individuals such as Lluís Marià Vidal, Francesc Clua, Martí Madern, Lluís Ferrer, Manuel Riu, Josep Duró, Maria Lourdes Casanovas, Josep Vicenç Santafé, or Antoni Lacasa, who had the foresight to preserve these specimens for a future that is already here, with the aim of representing the entire territory.
The exhibition was curated by paleontologist Rodrigo Gaete under the supervision of Àngel Galobart, director of the Conca Dellà Museum (Isona) and researcher at the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. The exhibition, organized by the Network of Museums of the Lleida and Aran and the two institutions it depends on, the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia and the Lleida Provincial Council, has been supported by the UNESCO Global Geopark Origins.
Admission to this temporary exhibition is included in the museum ticket.