The Candoglia marble quarries at the entrance to the Ossola valley are famous for their connection with the magnificent Milan Cathedral. This is where the valuable pink marble which was used to build it was quarried, and is still used today for maintenance and restoration work on the cathedral.

It all started in 1387 when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the Duke of Milan, gave permission for this strong, beautiful marble to be used free of charge by the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, the cathedral building committee which was set up to supervise the ambitious plan to build a cathedral in Milan to rival the major cathedrals north of the Alps.

If you book in advance you can visit the outside of the two ancient quarries still in use, as well as the nearby restoration workshop.