High above
Covelano/Göflan and the idyllic village of
Lasa/Laas, at the foot of the Ortler massive, there is a quarry where the purest marble in Europe has been mined for centuries. This marble is not only pure in character, but extremely hard, durable, and weather-resistant. A series of
guided tours and marble-themed hikes leading to the White water marble quarry, the Covelano quarry or the incline quarry railway used to transport the heavy marble slabs down to the valley offer visitors an interesting insight into the history of the local marble industry. The interior of the centuries-old marble quarry itself cannot be visited for safety reasons.
The
Marble & Apricots summer festival offers a varied program surrounding two of the most influential Venosta Valley cultural assets.
History of the Lasa and Covelano Marble
Around the idyllic village of Lasa at the foot of the Ortles massif, the purest marble has been mined in Europe for centuries. Even in ancient times the hard, resilient Lasa marble was used for the milestones on the
Roman road Via Claudia Augusta, and in modern times, the marble seams were rediscovered. Hence, the noble rock has been quarried since the mid-19th in the Jennwand and the Weisswasser quarry.
Today,
marble from the quarries in Lasa and Covelano is used mainly in construction, architecture, and for artistic purposes.