Corsi 434, approx. 145 x 73 x 40 mm, © Oxford University Museum of Natural History
| OUMNH Number: | 434 |
|---|---|
| Name and quarry location: | Breccia dorata, from Montagnola Senese, Siena, Tuscany, Italy |
| Geological description: | Breccia of fine-grained recrystallised limestone (probably weakly metamorphosed) clasts, closely packed, with minimal red calcareous matrix. Pink colour is leached, not present in rims of larger clasts and all the smaller clasts. It has stylolites, stylolitised clast boundaries, and a few sparry calcite-filled cavities. |
| Comments: | This stone has been recognised as the pink variety of breccia dorata described and illustrated by Bruno and Lazzarini (1995), a stone which was found to come from Montagnola in Siena. It is interesting to note that this sample was misidentified by William Brindley in around 1905 who wrote that the stone was ‘Verona Red also called Astabella in England. The tomb of Juliet in Verona is built of this marble’. He was evidently confusing it with one of the limestone breccias that come from the hills outside Verona. |
| References: | Borghini (1997) 170-171; Bruno (1999); Mielsch (1985) 50, taf.10; Porter (c.1905) Brindley ms note; Price (2007) 93 |
| Further information: |
|
| Corsi's classification: | Class 1. Marbles; Section 5. Breccias; ii. Italian Breccias |
|---|---|
| Corsi's text: | 118.13 Breccia di Verona |