Archaeological Museum of Soapstone

The Val Grande National Park’s Soapstone Archaeological Museum is situated in Malesco, in the Palazzo Pretorio, and forms part of the Soapstone and Stonemasons’ Ecomuseum. Inside the museum, the history of soapstone use is explored through an exhibition that brings together various aspects: archaeological, ethnographic and geological.

The museum is rich in artefacts which, dating back to prehistoric times, document humanity’s progressively developing ability to utilise natural resources. Of fundamental importance was the exploitation of the soapstone deposits, which became the cornerstone of the region’s flourishing economy; stone artefacts and a considerable number of valuable and imported objects highlight the valley’s active role in ancient trade routes. The objects on display illustrate how this material was worked to produce a variety of artefacts, used in a wide range of contexts, from small everyday items to architectural elements.

Since autumn 2013, a geological section has been open to visitors, illustrating the particularly significant outcrops of soapstone, marble and carbonate rocks, which trace the stages through which stone ‘becomes culture’. The themes are explored both in terms of their geo-environmental relationships and in relation to their exploitation as a geological resource, through images and texts that range from geological features to the techniques used to work the stone. The geographical and geo-environmental contexts introduce topics in general geology, with in-depth petrographic analysis complemented by artefacts and lithological samples.

GEO-TOPICS: georesources; petrography

Link: Archaeological Museum of Soapstone in Malesco | Val Grande National Park