The 'sabbionere'
Belmonte hill has not suffered phenomena of glacial erosion. The rocks forming it date back to over 300 million years ago and are formed by an outcrop of orthoclase microperthite red granite. Among the minor minerals forming the rock structure there are quartz and plagioclase and, in lesser percentage, muscovite, biotite, iron oxide, apatite, and pyrite.
The atmospheric precipitation and the erosion phenomena given to physical and chemical agents have broken up the rocky outcrops and given origin to the so-called "sabbionere": they are gully-like structures characteristic of the area, formed by coarse sand consisting of quartz and feldspar which, according to the location, are reddish-violet or entirely white. "Sabbionere" are well visible especially on the northern slope of the hill, where the erosion phenomena are more evident.
