ABSTRACT
Lombardy is a region of morphological differences in consequence of different geological structures. It is possible to distinguish from north to south: a mountain range (the Alps), mainly made of metamorphic and igneous rocks (gneiss and granites), featuring high peaks and deep valleys; a series of mountains and hills (the Prealps) mainly made of sedimentary rocks both clastic (sandstone, conglomerate) or chemical (limestone, dolostone); a flat sedimentary plain (the Pianura Padana) made of alluvial deposits (clay, sand and gravel) and a second series of hills and mountains (the Apennine) made of clastic rocks (sandstone and conglomerate).
The geological chronology spread from Permian (porphyry) to the present (travertine); Mesozoic stones (limestone and dolostone) were exploited as building materials; Tertiary stones (sandstone) were also employed despite their lower durability, but the most important stone is the Quaternary conglomerate, called Ceppo, coming from glacio-fluvial deposits quarried along the river courses (Adda, Brembo).
