"Casa porfido", porphyry and street furniture museum - Albiano

Porphyry has been quarried in Valle di Cembra for over a century. The remarkable durability of this rock has made it very popular as a paving material for urban spaces. The trade in porphyry has become one of the local population's main sources of income. Pride in this local, unique and precious material and praise for this specific activity of Valle di Cembra have given rise to the idea of opening the world's first porphyry and street furniture museum. "Casa porfido" aims at documenting, valorising and popularising the various skills involved in the quarrying of porphyry. One of the striking characteristics of this museum is the harmony between tradition and ultra-modern multimedia tools. In an interactive setting, visitors can discover at first hand the ancient history of porphyry quarrying and learn more about the local socio-economic fabric. They can watch historical films/documentaries and marvel at the age-old skill of porphyry stone cutting as well as at the incredible amount of precision required when laying porphyry. There are also hundreds of geographically sorted photographs showcasing especially iconic urban settings where porphyry has been used as a paving material.