The extraction of Finale Stone from prehistory to the present day characterises the Finalese landscape with fascinating quarries.

In the pass that precedes the top of Rocca di Perti, in proximity to what has been defined as the Acropolis, there is a small quarry of Finale stone that is called the “Crocetta quarry”. It was dug close to the Iron Age “castellaro” known as the “Village of the Souls” and to some suggestive Finale stone pinnacles that were formed by phenomena of karst erosion.

Crocetta quarry on Rocca di Perti

Crocetta quarry on Rocca di Perti

The old “quarry of the church” takes its name from the San Martino church that is close to it. It is set on top of the Verezzi ridge just beyond the Crosa village.

Quarry of the church in Verezzi

Quarry of the church in Verezzi

On the mountain range of Verezzi in a spectacular setting that is projected over the Ligurian Sea up to the Gallinara island and Capo Mele there is an ancient quarry of Verezzi stone known as the “old quarry”. It was surly active already in the 16th century when the reddish-brown stone was extracted by hand and destined to the prestigious aristocratic buildings in Genoa and in the feud of the Doria family in Loano.

Old quarry

Old quarry

On the western slopes of the Caprazoppa ridge, in the territory of Verezzi, there are the impressive walls of the Colle quarry, from which the local prestigious red stone was extracted.

The Colle quarry in Verezzi

The Colle quarry in Verezzi

On the steep Bric Spaventaggi slope, on the eastern side of the Aquila valley, up the hillside a spectacular quarry opens from which a light-coloured variety, rich with fossils, of Finale stone was extracted.

Aquila quarry

Aquila quarry

Following the path for Orco along the northern side in the final part of the small and narrow valley, just before the river Cornei meets the river Sciusa, one encounters some scenic quarries of light-coloured Finale stone that is typical of the area.

The quarries of the Cornei Valley

The quarries of the Cornei Valley

On the western side of Rocca di Perti, in a dominating position over the Pora valley, there are the tall walls of the Rocca di Perti quarry. One of the most prestigious types of pinkish coloured Finale stone was extracted from here.

The Rocca di Perti quarries

The Rocca di Perti quarries

Going up the Perti valley one comes across the fossil valley of Pianmarino that faces a suggestive quarry of light-coloured Finale stone that opens on a slope of Bric Scimarco.

The quarry of Pianmarino

The quarry of Pianmarino

Origins of The Territory

Origins of The Territory

Within the complex morphology of the Ligurian mountain range, the outstanding beauty of the Finale plateau with its unique Finale Stone outcrop that rises over 400 metres above sea level, creates a sharp colour contrast with the green of the surrounding vegetation.

Karst

Karst

Olive farming in Liguria goes back to ancient times and olive trees feature strongly all over the local landscape. Originally from Asia Minor, olive trees grow on the mild sea-facing slopes of Liguria.

Olive Groves Yesterday and Today

Olive Groves Yesterday and Today

Mediterranean plants, Mediterranean scrub, scented herbs; essential oil; resin; foot paths; rue; summer savory; thyme; helichrysum; rosemary; legends

Mediterranean Aromas

Mediterranean Aromas

Coastal cliffs and detritic slopes are home to halophytic vegetation, which grows, and even thrives, in saline environments thanks to mucilage-rich cells allowing for efficient water-retention and salt-tolerance.

Sea-Front Flora

Sea-Front Flora

Finale’s famous free-climbing cliffs are populated by chasmophytes - creepers that grow inside rocky cracks in craggy habitats.

Climbing Flora

Climbing Flora

Bats, or Chiroptera, are the only mammals that are capable of flapping flight. Local bat species are nocturnal animals that hunt for mosquitos or small insects, can eat as much as 30 or 40% of their bodyweight and use echolocation to find food.

Mysterious Bats

Mysterious Bats

Seasonal bird migrations are among the most fascinating natural spectacles on the planet. The South-West to North-East migratory route over the Mediterranean is one of the main ones.

Migrators Flying over Finale

Migrators Flying over Finale

Finale is a gift of water, as its genesis is strongly tied to water. It all started 28 million years ago, during the Oligocene, when the sea flooded a large coastal depression thereby forming a lagoon.

The Riches of the Sea

The Riches of the Sea

Nocturnal and diurnal birds of prey play an important part in Finale’s unique biodiversity. As predators at the top of the food chain, their presence within a natural habitat shows that the entire ecosystem is healthy and balanced.

Nocturnal and Diurnal Raptors

Nocturnal and Diurnal Raptors

The main stratigraphic series of the Ligurian Brianconnais zone can be found within the few square kilometres of Finale Ligure. Località Le Mànie features a unique Gneiss outcrop of ancient crystallized rocks that emerged through a tectonic window.

The rocks of Finale

The rocks of Finale

The limestone plateaus inland of Finale are home to the typical variety of Mediterranean wildlife, ranging from pioneer to climax species.

Plant wildlife

Plant wildlife

Nowhere else along the Ligurian coast is this “number” as high as in Finale - proof of how precious this small stretch of the Western Ligurian Riviera is in terms of natural beauty.

Biodiversity in the Finale Area

Biodiversity in the Finale Area

Biodiversity

Biodiversity

The landscape of Finale originates from the close relationship between the territory and man whose presence in this area of western Liguria is at least from 350.000 years ago: it’s an infinite time…

The landscape of Finale

The landscape of Finale

On the steep eastern slope of Val Ponci, between the Acqua and Voze bridges, there is a vast area where Finale stone was extracted with three big quarries. The extraction areas were at an altitude between 217 and 238 m a.s.l.

The Val Ponci quarry

The Val Ponci quarry

In Finale both the natural and the anthropized environment is strongly characterised by the presence of Finale stone. The stone is a bioclastic organogenic limestone, that is partially detrital with shades of colour that go from white to light brown and pink, and has always been used for building.

Finale Stone

Finale Stone