GranUM, Granite Museum

The GranUM museum space, housed in a room within the historic Palazzo Pretorio, is a multimedia and multisensory information centre dedicated to Pink Granite and its historical and economic importance for the Baveno area; it is also designed to showcase the wealth of routes and sites associated with stone-working in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola area.

The exhibition space is divided into four themed areas, beginning with a presentation of pink granite and the region’s best-known varieties of stone. This is followed by a section dedicated to extraordinary mineralogical rarities, another dedicated to the craft and techniques of granite working past and present, and finally, the history of the quarrying and use of granite in the local area and abroad is traced.

GranUM, which aims to preserve the historical memory of quarrying activities across the entire ‘Granito del Laghi’ area, works in partnership with the Montorfano Granite Ecomuseum and extends its promotional activities throughout the Baveno area.
The most significant extension of the open-air museum is the Picasass trail, a walking route leading to the quarrying area of Monte Camoscio. It takes its name from the dialect term used to refer to quarrymen and leads to a landscape installation featuring blocks of stone at various stages of processing and photographic panels depicting scenes of work. Continuing along the trail leads, on one side, to the Picasass via ferrata, built by CAI Baveno, whilst on the other it takes you to the summit of Monte Camoscio and connects with the route to the summit of Mottarone.

Opening times: 15 May–4 October, daily 9.00–12.30 and 15.00–18.00; 5 October–28 February 2027, Monday to Saturday 10.30–12.30; also 15.00–18.00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
Admission: Free at
Guided tours and educational activities are available by booking: Tel. 0323 924632; info@ecomuseogranitomontorfano.it

GEO-TOPICS: georesources; mineralogy; petrography

Link: Granite and the Picasass Trail – Baveno Tourism – Baveno Tourism