Corsi Collection of Decorative Stones

view of stone 450

Corsi 450, approx. 145 x 73 x 40 mm, © Oxford University Museum of Natural History

OUMNH Number: 450  
Name and quarry location: Breccia della Gaetta, from Gaetta (Gaeta), Lake Como, Como, Lombardy, Italy  
Geological description: Limestone breccio-conglomerate in pink limestone matrix.  
Comments: Amoretti (1824) refers to a mine at Gaetta on the western coast of Lario (Lake Como) - most probably in the area of the Villa la Gaeta near S. Siro. Melchiorre (1804) refers to iron being mined at Gaeta, as do other authors of the time. A modern source records Gaeta mine as working a lead-zinc deposit in dolomite (Ralph, n.d.). No mention is made of decorative stone, and because this sample is not dolomitic, Corsi's locality is thought to be very doubtful. Note that Corsi's three specimens supposedly from Gaetta (nos. 194, 250 and 450) are all very different and it is doubtful whether any of them are correctly provenanced.  
References: Amoretti (1824) 352 footnote; Ralph (n.d.)  
Further information:
 


Corsi's classification: Class 1. Marbles; Section 5. Breccias; ii. Italian Breccias  
Corsi's text: 121.29 Breccia della Gaetta sul lago di Como  

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