In the middle of the Piedmontese mountains, not far from the Swiss border, the ancient craft of scagliola, also known as imitation marble, has its true home: the Rima Artificial Marble Laboratory, located in the Walser village of Rima. From here, skilled craftsmen spread their art all around Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. This ancient tradition, absolutely different from the technique of the same name developed in Tuscany, is kept alive here among difficulties.

Scagliola is prepared mixing selenite with water, rabbit-skin glue and pigments, in order to obtain a veined polished surface through a slow process: it takes ten to 12 hours to make one square metre of scagliola. This fine plaster, very popular in the past, is mainly used in architecture and sculpture, and nowadays is revived through the encounter with contemporary design. New possibilities are now being opened, in the bespoke production of objects and furniture for interiors, always in a lively dialogue with the lessons learned from ancient masters.