Between Baveno and Feriolo there is a series of quarries, giving a characteristic appearance to the local environment. These quarries have supplied red granite for the columns for the Cathedral of Milan, the church of San Paolo fuori le Mura in Rome, the Arch of Peace and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele at Milan, the columns of L’Opéra in Paris, the Karlskirche (Church of St Charles) in Vienna, the monument to Christopher Columbus in New York, and the Royal Palace of Bangkok. There is a monument on Baveno lakefront devoted to the “picasass”, the local stonemasons whose skill has made Baveno famous all over the world.

Bonus fact: in addition to the precious pink granite, these quarries contain around 60 different mineral species, some of which are named after Baveno: for example Bavenite, Bazzite and Flourite.
Getting close to the quarries is dangerous, these paths are for experts only with special equipment. However, there is a relatively easy path to the Open Air Museum with a series of large panels illustrating the work of the stonecutters and the history of local quarries. The quarries can be seen at a distance from the path. http://www.bavenoturismo.it/itinerario/il-sentiero-dei-picasass/