Notes on the Poster “Map of Natural Stones from Sardinia (Italy)”

Abstract

Sardinia (Italy) produces a vast array of natural stones for ornamental use. Besides the internationally known pink and gray granites and the famous limestone known as Orosei marble, a wide range of vulcanites (basalts and “trachytes”) and phyllites - including yellow and ghiandone granites - are also produced. Orosei marbles are some of the most requested types today, which are marketed especially to China. However, there are a number of Sardinian natural stones, which have been quarried and marketed for fifty years, although no image or footage has been published yet: a mention of this natural stones has been only made in some old list of Sardinian stones. For this reason, authors suggested the publication of a poster (70 cm x 100 cm) showing a collection of natural stones quarried for ornamental purposes in Sardinia over the last fifty years. The poster includes a user-friendly map that has been adapted for school use and as a public resource in libraries. There are no previous publications showing a similar wide range of Sardinian stones. The poster offers scientific information about lithology, quarrying sites, dimension stone producing areas, quarries of historical and/or archaeological interest, historical trend in quarries output, technical properties, stone surface workability and a glossary.