Soapstone from the Val Loana

There are several outcrops of soapstone ( talc and chlorite schist) in the Loana stream basin, some of which have historically been used forquarrying. Soapstone is, in fact, a rock which, thanks to its ease of working, is used for the production of kitchen utensils (e.g. pots and pans), tableware, sculptures and decorative elements (e.g. capitals). Along the road leading from Malesco to Fondo Li Gabbi, there is an outcrop of soapstone bearing the rounded shapes left by quarrying (known as ‘ciapùgn’ in the local dialect).

Soapstone (known as ‘Leuzerie’ in the Malesco dialect), which outcrops in the area, has been and remainsan important geological resource for the local economy. Its use – in ancient times for the production of artefacts and, in modern times, for the development of geotourism routes designed to promote the area – demonstrates the indissoluble link between the geological substrate and the life of local communities.

The cultural aspects associated with the quarrying of this rock and its scientific value are explored in the geological section of the Ecomuseum of Ollare Stone and Stonemasons (Ed Leuzerie and di Scherpelit) in Malesco.

Here is the link to the 3D model of the geological site created by the ‘A. Desio’ Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Milan.