  We report on the prompt and afterglow emission observations of the dark burst
GRB010214 with BeppoSAX. The prompt emission shows possible evidence of
variable absorption from N_H = 3.0^{+5.1}_{-2.0} x 10^23 cm-2 in the first 6 s
of the event to a value consistent with the Galactic column density (N_H^(G) =
2.66 x 10^20 cm-2) in the GRB direction. An X-ray afterglow emission in the
2-10 keV energy band was detected with BeppoSAX, but an analogue search at
lower wavelengths (optical, IR and radio) was unsuccessful. The X-ray afterglow
spectrum is consistent with a power-law with Galactic absorption. The light
curve shows a complex decay, if the tail of the prompt emission is assumed as
the onset of the afterglow: if the origin of the afterglow is coincident with
the GRB onset, a bump before ~ 3 x 10^4 s is inferred, while if the afterglow
is assumed to start later, a steepening of the power-law light curve at t ~ 3 x
10^4 s is deduced. We discuss these results in the light of the current models
of afterglows and the possible origin of the GRB darkness. Finally, we
tentatively derive an estimate of the burst redshift.
