L’antica Cava di Ornavasso: un viaggio nel cuore della montagna e dell’arte

The presence of the marble of Ornavasso had already been proved during the roman époque by stelae and altars of the I and II centuries A.D., which are now preserved in the Civic Museums of Archaeological Collections in the Castello Sforzesco of Milan.
Beginning from the XIII century, the waterway from the River Toce, through Lake Maggiore, the River Ticino, the Naviglio Grande as far as the Darsena of Milan favoured the employ of local marble for the construction of several important Lombard monuments.

On the opposite site of the Toce Valley, the Mother Quarry of Candoglia plays a dominant role. Today its marble is still used for implementing the architectural structure of the Cathedral of Milan.
The type of marble hidden in the heart of the ancient Quarry in Ornavasso goes through the river valley and, thanks to a strict connection with that one in Candoglia, since the ‘80s of the XIV century it has contributed to the creation of the Cathedral of Milan and other relevant Italian monuments, such as the Certosa and the Cathedral in Pavia and the Arch of Peace in Milan.

The ancient Quarry in Ornavasso is one of the first examples of excavation in a gallery. On the right and on the left some chimneys, which were used for rooms ventilation and as dump for rejected materials from the up levels, are in fact well visible.
Next to the quarry entry, the first chimney is lightened and lets the visitors admire the majesty of spaces as well as the skilled workers’ ability of that time.
Along the gallery there are 1 meter high walled up niches, which permitted to charge unloaded materials on rail-wagons directly and bring them outside.
In the largest niches there was the winch. Opposite to them, the support for fixing the pulley and the hook for hanging it in the middle of the vault can still be seen.

The large quantity of raw marble required for building the façade and the internal floor of the Cathedral in the Lombardy capital town made the success of the Quarry in Ornavasso as well as that one of the best local entrepreneurs of the period, who have been able to apply innovative ideas and production techniques.

From June, 1 till September, 30 the quarry is visitable from Tuesday to Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m., on Sunday also from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

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