Mineral Museum

The Arona Mineralogical Museum opened in 1983. 

It houses some 450 samples, most of them donated by the members of the Archaeological Historical Mineralogical Group of Arona (GASMA), in charge with its management.

The Museum has two sections:

• the scientific-educational one, displaying minerals with corresponding 3-D crystallographic models and descriptions of their genesis from volcanic, sedimentary and metamorphic geological phenomena;
• the mineral section, of considerable aesthetic value, and fossils.

A video workstation connected with a stereoscopic microscope makes it possible to project magnified images of colourful minerals.

The museum is housed in a 19th-century building with large bays, once used as a covered market, located in the central San Graziano Square.

The collection includes minerals from all around the world, giving emphasis to those from the Ossola – Baveno caves area, a major one for abundance and variety of specimens.

Two showcases contain a small collection of local minerals, donated by a member.

Worth mentioning are:

• a rare bavenite, named after Baveno, the town where it is found in some fascinating specimens inside small geodes of granite. It appears in white needle-like crystals in clumped or rosette-like ray aggregates;
• a meteorite fragment;
• an emerald from Val Vigezzo;
• a pyromorphite from Mottarone;
• a sample of agates.

The Museum provides:

• tours led by mineralogists;
• mineralogical texts from the library on consultation;
• free guided tours for groups of students.

Virtual tour of the Mineralogical Museum