The Luserna stone is a gneiss (metamorphic rock) characteristic of the Pellice Valley, located in Piedmont between the provinces of Turin, Asti and Cuneo. From the times of the ancient Romans it was used as a material for covering roofs and subsequently, from medieval times to the present day, to pave sidewalks and adorn internal stairs thanks to its valuable physical properties and pleasant bluish-gray appearance.
Despite some timid nineteenth-century geological studies, it certainly could not be imagined that this hard and compact rock could serve as a casket for 118 different mineralogical species, often very colorful and wonderfully crystallized. The temporary exhibition has the pleasure and honor of hosting the Table of Minerals of Luserna or the samples of all 118 species found, collected and masterfully photographed by Bruno Marello and illustrated and described in the book written with Massimo Umberto Tomalino, soon to be published by MAGMAX.
It is no coincidence that the title of the book “The Table of the Minerals of Luserna” evokes the 118 elements of the Periodic Table, in humble but straightforward analogy with the importance of discovery and scientific representativeness.
The temporary exhibition is on display from 13 March to 15 May 2022 in the new MAGMAX Library-Laboratory, inaugurated for this occasion.