Valmadonna Quarry, Caneva (Pordenone, Italian eastern Alps)

Underground quarrying of the “Marmorino di Caneva” limestone

The “Valmadonna” quarry exploits a limestone named “Marmorino”, used in high-quality industrial processes; the limestone has a typical milky-white color due to the very high purity, its calcium carbonate content varying in the range 99.5-99.7%. This allows the production of micronized CaCO₃ used in a variety of industrial applications.
The deposit has been exploited underground up to the end of the 1970s, with a rooms-and-pillars scheme. Presently the quarrying proceeds opencast. A new underground mining design at different levels is necessary, as the surface-exposed deposit is approaching exhaustion.