Porphyry is a particular volcanic rock belonging to the so-called "Piattaforma Porfirica Atesina" a huge compound of volcanic rocks that covers the Trentino-Alto Adige region.
These rocks, extremely varied and differentiated both of chemical composition and formation process, are the consequence of an intense volcanic activity, started during lower Permian 260 milions years ago, and persisted for several milion years with constant alternation of eruptive and stagnation stages.
A particularly interesting quality of porphyry are the colours. The porphyry is mined in half mountain open-cast quarries organised in terraces. Material is stratified in variable thicknesses with large structural mutability that leads to a huge variety of stone's colours.
The colours of porphyry range from grey to grey-violet, from red to purple up to intense rust. In terms of structural physical and mechanical characteristics, the different chromatic distribution does not affect performing prerogatives of material. By the way the intense rust shade is notoriously an element of high aesthetic value for significant design solutions. Anyway we can affirm with no risk of deny that no other stone better then Trentino porphyry allows perfect symbiosis with surrounding environment, by ensuring the valorisation of different design solutions. Such symbiosis seems more effective when porphyry is combined with other local stones, first and foremost the Roman Travertine .
