Centro museale naturalistico di Valle Strona "Mario Bertolani"

About the museum

The museum centre was conceived in the 1990s to showcase the geological knowledge of the Valle Strona, built up over almost a century of research. It is housed in the former primary school of Sambughetto, renovated for the purpose, and is part of the Ecomuseo del Lago d'Orta e Mottarone.

The display tells the geological story of the valley, where rocks from 10–15 kilometres deep in the Earth's crust surface, together with stronalite, a rock typical of the area. The geology section presents rocks and the main minerals, marble quarries and nickel mines. There are also fossils and images of the karst caves hollowed out of the marble of Monte Turi, once inhabited by prehistoric animals and linked to legends of witches.

Guided visits are available in Italian, German and English. Large coaches cannot reach the museum, as it lies in a small hamlet of the valley.

Highlights

• Deep-seated rocks and stronalite of the Valle Strona
• Marble quarries and nickel mines
• Karst caves of Monte Turi and their legends
• Fossils from the valley
• Based in the former primary school of Sambughetto

Permanent exhibition

• Storia geologica della Valle Strona – Rocks, minerals, marble quarries, nickel mines, fossils and images of the karst caves of Monte Turi.

Operated by

Comune di Valstrona

Visitors per year

approx. 300

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission according to the Museionline listing.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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