Lasa Marble refers to the metamorphic limestone marble found and quarried on the northeastern flank of the Ortler/Ortles mountain group. Lasa Marble, named after the small village of Laas/Lasa, is of exceptional purity and amounts to approximately 500 million cubic meters.
The History of Lasa Marble
The systematic extraction of this "white gold" in Laas and the nearby Göflan/Covelano quarry in South Tyrol dates back centuries. As early as antiquity, the hard and durable Lasa Marble was used for milestone markers along the
Roman road Via Claudia Augusta. Since the 19th century, the high-quality and weather-resistant Lasa Marble has been widely used in church construction and sculpture across Europe. Today, Lasa Marble is highly valued worldwide as a premium natural building material for prestigious projects, such as the new
subway station at Ground Zero in New York.
At the foot of the Nördersberg mountain, gleaming white marble blocks are stacked - now transported by trucks, but formerly by the Lasa Marble Material Railway "Materialschrägbahn". This fascinating industrial inclined railway, recognized today as an industrial monument, was put into operation in 1930 and remained in use in its original form until just a few years ago.
Famous Marble Artists
Since 1982, Laas has also been home to a Technical School for Stone Processing, where aspiring stonemasons learn the craft - particularly working with Lasa Marble. For this reason, the marble village of Laas in South Tyrol is not only a center for marble extraction but also a place where the renowned Lasa Marble is increasingly being used in art. Here, the
sculptor duo Venske & Spänle and
Armin Joos were also trained. Other well-known marble artists include
Karl Grasser, Friedrich Gurschler, and
Michael Höllrigl, as well as
Julia Frank and the sculptor
Bernhard Grassl from Laas. The artist from Laas
Jörg Hofer creates plastic images from marble dust, which is applied to the canvas.
”Marmor und Marillen“: White marble, sweet apricots
Each year, artists and sculptors gather here to showcase their skills at the "Marmor & Marillen"/"Marble & Apricots" festival. On the
first weekend of August, Laas hosts this vibrant cultural festival, celebrating the culinary and cultural highlights of Schlanders/Silandro and Laas.