User:Vndrevcvstello/The geomineral and kaolin museum

The geomineral and kaolin museum is a museum in Schio which collects several specimens of minerals and different testimonies about the mining activity of the kaolin, in the past practiced in the area of Tretto.

History
The museum was officially instituted in December 2006 with the loan for use of the collection of Ugo De Grandis, a member of the scledense mineralogical group born in the 1970s. The first site is located in some locals of the Magrè district council; the museum was in October 2013 transferred to the stables of the disused alpine barracks (in Schio) owned by the municipality. The most appropriate rooms allow the preparation of the section dedicated to kaolin. The museum is part of museums in Vicenza called the Altovicentino Museums.

Collection
The exhibition is structured in two rooms: the geomineral room and the kaolin room.

The geomineral room, that includes more than 3000 pieces, is divided into four sections: the first illustrates the lithology of the Schio and Vicenza area; the second collects a systematic mineralogical collection and includes pieces of both local, national and foreign origin; the third includes various "curiosities" (false minerals, synthetic minerals, etc.) and the fourth exposes the mineral varieties of the territory.

The kaolin room collects various finds such as equipment, objects, photographic images, laboratory material, raw and processed kaolin samples extracted from the mines of Val dei Mercanti in Torrebelvicino and Pozzani in Tretto as witness of the traditional mining activity.