Micci quarries operate in the heart of the volcanic plateau generated by the ancient Cimino volcano, an area that stretches for about a 15-kilometer radius in the Tuscia Viterbese area.
Here we mine and process peperino, a material formed from volcanic stratifications thousands of years old that emerge from the earth with unique characteristics.
The volcanic origin gives peperino superior technical and mechanical qualities: natural resistance to time, weathering and structural stability that spans the centuries.
The name comes from the Latin lapis peperinus, related to piper (pepper), because of the characteristic presence of black biotite particles dotting the gray surface, creating the visual effect of ground peppercorns.
It is history that vouches for our lava stone: used since Paleolithic times, then by the Etruscans for their sarcophagi, by the Romans for public buildings, until it became the dominant material in medieval and Renaissance buildings in Tuscia.
In ancient times, Etruscans and Romans chose peperino for works intended to last: the Roman theater at Ferento testifies to the trust placed in this volcanic material for monumental constructions.
In the Middle Ages, stone became the architectural soul of the area: the San Pellegrino district in Viterbo and the characteristic villages of Vitorchiano and Soriano nel Cimino show how peperino defined the building identity of this land.
The Renaissance marks the apogee of the art of peperino construction: Villa Lante in Bagnaia and Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola represent masterpieces where volcanic stone is transformed into architecture of refined elegance, demonstrating the versatility and nobility of this material, which from the force of the volcano becomes architectural beauty.