Between 15 and 12 million years ago a thrust caused Mount San Michele and Mount Moscal to emerge from the sea with some rock layers sloping to the southwest. During the Rissian glaciation (190,000-120,000 years ago) the whole territory of Cavaion was covered by large masses of ice coming from both Lake Garda and Val d'Adige, which flowed over Mount Moscal and over San Michele, smoothing and rounding them. This glacial expansion was followed by periods of retreat and new glacial advances that originated the other hills of the territory of Cavaion which are of morainic origin.

TERTIARY ROCK FORMATIONS⁽²⁾
In the lower part of the mountain there are sedimentary rocks of a calcareous nature, originating in the Lower Oligocene period (32 to 34 million to 27 to 29 million years ago), consisting of arenaceous-clayey deposits, while in the upper part there are calcareous rocks of the Upper Oligocene period (27 to 29 to 22 to 24 million years ago) of a whitish or pinkish yellow colour. The oldest formations have fossils of Scutella Pettinidae and Clypeaster, while the others are rich in fossils of Lamellibranchs, Echinoderms, Foraminifera and fish teeth. There are also numerous fossilised Pecten shells, but rare is the 'Echinolampas cavaionensis', a beautiful fossil of echinoderm, similar to the sea urchin that took its name from Cavaion and was found on Mount San Michele and Mount Moscal.

IRIS Family Iridaceae(3)
The Iris is a perennial plant that grows spontaneously in arid woods and on slopes exposed to the south; it easily withstands both the scorching summer heat and the winter cold.
FOGLIE: a forma di spada, ordinate in serie opposte, nascono all’apice del rizoma. Lunghe dai 40 ai 50 cm, hanno la base che avvolge e ingloba la base della foglia successiva.
FIORI: fiorisce ad aprile-maggio e l’inflorescenza è formata da due/quattro fiori, con i peduncoli che partono da foglie, nella parte superiore del fusto. Sono formati da sei petali viola, tre rivolti verso l’alto e tre verso il basso.
FUSTO: eretto, alto 50-100 cm, ha grossi rizomi ramificati.
The rhizome is used as an infusion for its expectorant powers, and reduced to powder is the basis for various products in cosmetics and perfumery.

YELLOW SAPPHIRE STERNBERGIA lutea, Family Amaryllidaceae(4)
It is a perennial herbaceous plant, bulbous geophyte. It can reach a height of between 12 and 22 cm. The leaves are basal and linear with a central groove. The lower leaflets are smaller and membranous. It develops a single flower, in some cases two, hermaphrodite with 6 yellow tepals. Flowering takes place in September. The root system is connected to an oblong brown or blackish bulb. It is widespread in all countries of the Mediterranean basin and Western Asia. Its primary habitat is dry meadows, stony ground and forests.

Stalactites(5)
Their formation on Mount San Michele depends on the presence of limestone rocks. In the water, calcium bicarbonate is transformed into insoluble carbonate under certain conditions. If this reaction takes place while the water is dripping, some of the solid carbonate is deposited at the point where the drop falls off, initiating the formation of the stalactite.