Calcestruzzi spa – Italcementi Group

The two quarry sites of Monviso S.p.A. are integral part, from organizational point of view, of the Zone Piedmont of Calcestruzzi S.p.A. – Italcementi Group; they work since halves the years ’60. Quarries are located in the banks of the river Po in the communes of Casalgrasso (Cn) and Carmagnola (To). Beginning from the end of the years ’90, the Region Piedmont has authorized two exploitation plans for 20 years lasting divided in 5 years lotteries; the “regional system of the protected areas of the river band of the Po” has been founded for safeguarding an unique environment, signed by several decades of “wild” exploitation activity. Calcestruzzi stipulated a convention with the “Corporate body” involved for the definitive transfer of main part of the areas, previous environmental recovery, at the end of the activities. The "executive project” in his complex involves the most varied competences (territorial planning, urbanism, geology, mining engineering, hydraulic, environmental sciences, ecology, etc.). The principal address, that directs the whole project, is based on the available and potential naturalistic resources; quarrying interventions will not alter the possibility to realize the project of naturalistic evaluation, but contrarily they will make it compatible with other uses (fishing, recreational activity and loisirs for the local inhabitants). Part of the river bands is today interested by the quarries service areas (workmanships, stores, overburden stocks, squares of manoeuvre, offices…); such areas, recovered, will enrich the qualification of the river bands and will give continuity to the naturalistic itineraries along the banks. From the point of view of the territorial situation, the whole zone is geologically and historically tied up to the river; the Po with his mobility has heavily conditioned the uses and the infrastructures. Quarry basins assume the consolidated role of destinations for the leisure time of the numerous local fishermen. The zone is therefore absolutely different from the rest of the river bands in terms of antropic presence: sign of the river, even though corrected by the man in the ‘800, produces a general sense of more natural landscape than the surrounding (antropized both in the rural part and in the built one). Monviso project foresees the rinaturalization of the banks of the Po and the areas to the surrounding, with formation of riparian wood, cycle-pedestrian runs, landings for small tourist boats and areas for standstill, games, camping and pic-nic.