Ecomuseo dell'Ardesia
Diffuse ecomuseum of the Val Fontanabuona on the history of slate: the Chiapparino centre, the underground Isolona quarry and the museum in Cicagna.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Ecomuseo dell'Ardesia, also known as “La via della pietra nera” (The Black Stone Trail), is a dispersed route opened in 1997 that tells the story of slate, the local “ciappa” quarried and worked for centuries in the Val Fontanabuona, from the quarries and workshops to blackboards and billiard tables.
The reception centre is in the restored old factory (opificio) of Chiapparino, a hamlet of Cicagna, where worked slabs, blackboards, billiard tables and furnishing objects are displayed, along with information and booking services. From here the route leads to the underground Isolona quarry, in the municipality of Orero, opened around 1880, which is visited with a guide; the visit continues into the external workshop, known as the baracùn, with period machinery.
The third stop is the Museo dell'Ardesia in Cicagna, at Villa Cavagnari, with images, tools, reconstructions of a quarry and a workshop, and a historical-archaeological section with finds from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages.
Highlights
- Isolona underground quarry with guided tour
- External workshop “baracùn” with period machinery
- Chiapparino exhibition centre with blackboards and billiard tables
- Museo dell'Ardesia at Villa Cavagnari
- Historical-archaeological section from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages
Permanent exhibitions
- Cava sotterranea di Isolona – Slate quarry opened around 1880, visitable with a guide, with an external workshop and period machinery.
- Centro espositivo di Chiapparino – Blackboards, billiard tables, worked slabs and furnishing objects in the restored old factory.
- Museo dell'Ardesia di Cicagna – Images, tools and reconstructions of a quarry and a workshop, with a historical-archaeological section.
- Founded
- 1997
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
From Genoa the valley can be reached in about an hour by car along the Val Fontanabuona provincial road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The underground quarry can only be visited with a guide (about half an hour); the environment is dark and cool even in summer, so comfortable shoes and a light jacket are recommended. |
