Alpe Cortenuovo

From a geological point of view, at Alpe Cortenuovo, white rocks – metamorphosed limestones or metacarbonates – outcrop, interbedded with greyish rocks, phyllites and phyllonites. Both lithologies belong to the Canavese Zone, a belt of rocks affected by the activity of the Insubric Line (locally known as the Canavese Line). This tectonic line, which crosses the Alpine range from west to east, has profoundly influenced the structure and evolution of the rocks and their subsequent shaping.

As far as geomorphology is concerned, the shaping of the rocks found here by an ancient glacier is clearly evident: the softer phyllites and phyllonites have been eroded to a greater extent than the metacarbonates, which instead stand out as elongated white ridges.

In environments such as these – very rocky and with little topsoil – it is not uncommon for trees to grow very slowly: for example, there are some larch trees here that appear to be only a few years old, but are in fact nearly a century old.

The diversity of the rocks found (geodiversity) in this area is closely linked to biodiversity ( the variety of living organisms): different types of rock determine the presence of different plant and animal species. Furthermore, rocks are shaped in different ways depending on their resistance to mechanical erosion and dissolution by water in its various forms (water, snow and ice). We can therefore also speak of geomorphological diversity.