the quarry
The quarry
The Val Fontanabuona is a land of traditions, of quiet, of farmers, miners, and emigrated people. It’s a valley to rediscover and explore, which originates from the sea and then, going to refuge in the mountains, arrives at Lumarzo- Natalina Garaventa’s birthplace ( Frank Sinatra’s mother).
Along the roads of Val Fontanabuona, you can meet unspoiled nature and small villages scattered among the green of the valley such as Orero and Isolona, from where you can see Cava Arde’.
In the numerous quarries of Fontanabuona, they used to extract large quantities of ” ardesia”, which were then used as a building material for the roofs of the houses or to make blackboards, billiards and articles of crafts.
“Ardesia” has always been ” the black gold” of Val Fontanabuona, as it is something that has always been part of locals’ everyday life.
Today this stone is a symbol of wealth, style and elegance, so much so that many foreign brands are only looking for slate coming from the quarries of Val Fontanabuona.
Literally, two steps away from our location, there is a natural quarry: thanks to our efforts to recover and secure, today it’s the only quarry in Val Fontanabuona open to the public. During recovery work, they found some tools to extract and cut the slate blocks and complete the processing for construction purposes. The restored tools have been relocated, allowing us to set up a museum exhibition and improve the location appeal.
The recovery of areas and paths within the quarry, the spectacular lighting and the setting-up of an educational tour complete the restructuring work.
