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Caselle quarry (Fonte quarry), Castel del Piano, Grosseto Province, Tuscany, Italyi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Caselle quarry (Fonte quarry) | Quarry (Built Over) |
| Castel del Piano | Commune |
| Grosseto Province | Province |
| Tuscany | Region |
| Italy | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
42° 53' 29'' North , 11° 32' 27'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Quarry (Built Over) - last checked 2025
Age:
0.14 to 0.13 Ma
Geologic Time:
Dating method:
Th230/U238
Reference for age:
Rinaldi Fornaca, G. (1968) Età Th230/U238 delle Farine Fossili del Monte Amiata. Atti della Società Toscana gi Scienze Naturali, Memorie, Serie A, 75 (2). 654-661
KÃķppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Castel del Piano | 3,507 (2014) | 0.2km |
| San Lorenzo | 274 (2014) | 1.2km |
| Bagnoli | 490 (2014) | 2.2km |
| Arcidosso | 2,018 (2014) | 2.3km |
| Montelaterone | 254 (2014) | 2.4km |
A historic quarry, completely repurposed and absorbed by urban development, important for the extraction of diatomite, locally known as "farina fossile" ("kieselguhr" in German) or, popularly, "latte di luna" ("moon milk" in English).
The production of diatomite, along with colouring earths and tannin, contributed significantly to the economic development of the Monte Amiata area between the 19th and 20th centuries. The deposit mined by the quarry was exhausted in 1970. The last industrial activities in the sector closed in 1978.
The location is listed only for historical records, as it is currently impossible to find and collect geological or mineralogical samples without occasional excavations. Geomineralogical samples, often containing fossils, from this or other quarries in the area, commonly referred to as "Monte Amiata" provenance, are preserved and often displayed in Tuscan and national natural history collections.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramList of minerals for each chemical element
Geochronology
Mineralization age: Pleistocene : 0.14 Ma to 0.13 MaImportant note: This table is based only on rock and mineral ages recorded on mindat.org for this locality and is not necessarily a complete representation of the geochronology, but does give an indication of possible mineralization events relevant to this locality. As more age information is added this table may expand in the future. A break in the table simply indicates a lack of data entered here, not necessarily a break in the geologic sequence. Grey background entries are from different, related, localities.
| Geologic Time | Rocks, Minerals and Events | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phanerozoic | |||||||
| Cenozoic | |||||||
| Quaternary | |||||||
| Pleistocene |
| ||||||
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
- Campanian ArcVolcanic Arc
EuropeContinent
Italy
- Tuscany
- Monte Amiata earth pigments and diatomaceous earth districtMining District
- Orcia ValleyValley
This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to
visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders
for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.
