Sarizzo (also Serizzo) is a trade group of classic Alpine gneisses from the Ossola and Simplon valleys in northern Italy (Piedmont/Lombardy), with a grey to green-grey ground colour, pronounced black-and-white contrast and a characteristic schistose texture. Traded as a granite — a proven building stone for floors, stairs, façades, external paving and kitchen worktops in the Alpine architectural tradition.
Petrographisch ein Gneis, im Handel als Granit geführt.
Sarizzo is the dialect spelling of Serizzo — one of the classic trade groups of Italian Alpine natural stone families. Characteristic are a medium- to coarse-grained, distinctly schistose texture in grey to green-grey tones with a pronounced black-and-white contrast: dark biotite and hornblende bands alternate with pale quartz and feldspar fields and give the stone its characteristically lively material signature. The Sarizzo family comprises three main varieties documented in the German natural stone database: Sarizzo Dubino (also Serizzo Dubino, DNSA 2028, INSK 48.6) from Dubino near Sondrio on Lake Como, Sarizzo Sempione (also Serizzo Sempione, DNSA 3635, INSK 48.11) from Crevoladossola, Trasquera, Varzo and the Simplon region, and Sarizzo Formazza (also Serizzo Formazza, DNSA 3636, INSK 48.12) from the Formazza valley near Premia. At ROSSITTIS we carry Sarizzo for floors, stairs, façade cladding, external paving, plinth details, wall cladding, kitchen worktops, vanity tops and project-specific bespoke work.
Geologically, Sarizzo stones are Palaeozoic gneisses from the Alpine basement of Italian Lombardy and Piedmont — formed by high-pressure and high-temperature metamorphism of granitic and sedimentary parent rocks. The clearly visible foliation, that is, the parallel arrangement of the dark and pale minerals, is the geological identifying feature: it arose from tectonic pressure in the course of Alpine orogeny, which pressed the originally isotropic minerals into thin bands. Mineralogically, quartz, plagioclase, biotite and hornblende dominate; depending on the quarry, small proportions of chlorite, garnet or epidote can shift the colour tones towards a slightly greenish grey. Sarizzo gneisses have been used for centuries in the architecture of Piedmont, Lombardy, Ticino and southern Germany — they are among the most tradition-rich Alpine building stones in central Europe.
The technical values across all three varieties are classic hard-rock values: bulk density 2,640–2,800 kg/m³, compressive strength 150–184 MPa, flexural strength 14–21.6 MPa. Sarizzo Dubino additionally shows a post-frost compressive strength of 170 MPa, abrasion resistance of 1.00 (Italian standard) and thermal linear expansion of 0.74 mm/m/100K. With water absorption there is an important difference within the family: at 0.31 per cent, Sarizzo Formazza is very dense and entirely unproblematic in damp applications, whereas Sarizzo Dubino and Sarizzo Sempione, with values up to 2.75 per cent, have a more open-pored structure, and in damp or heavily loaded areas a reliable sealer is advisable. All three varieties are frost-resistant and acid-resistant; polishing is possible and durable outdoors as well. Compared with classic Swiss Alpine gneisses such as Andeer Gneiss or Calanca Gneiss, Sarizzo brings somewhat more black-and-white contrast and a slightly more expressive material character.
At ROSSITTIS, Sarizzo is available as an unsized slab, as a floor tile, as tread and riser, as a window sill, as a skirting, as a paving stone, as a façade element and as a project-specific cut; likewise as a kitchen worktop and vanity top. The surface finishes currently held in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down.
Our honest assessment: Sarizzo is one of the most widely built Alpine building stones in Italy and ranks among the most robust and, at the same time, longest-available European gneisses. Anyone looking for a classic, durable and high-contrast floor, stair or façade stone for demanding external and internal applications gets, in Sarizzo, a material proven over centuries with excellent weathering resistance. The choice of variety matters: Formazza for very dense damp applications, Dubino or Sempione for classic prestige architecture. When sampling, note that the direction of foliation of the gneiss remains visible in the slab pattern — this is characteristic of the material and not a quality deviation.
In stock
Current availability from our warehouse.
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Technical data
Guide values for the stone type, taken from manufacturer and test reports. Natural stone is a natural product — individual batches and slabs can differ. For critical applications, request slab-specific test data.
Sarizzo is available in a range of finishes. The finish affects appearance, feel and the care it needs.
Poliert
Politur ist die klassischste Veredelung im Hartgesteinsegment — eine spiegelglatte, hochglänzende Oberfläche mit höchstmöglicher Farbintensität und maximaler Tiefenwirkung der Mineralstruktur. Als säurebeständiges Silikatgestein ist polierter Granit pflegeleicht und für Küchenarbeitsplatten, Wandverkleidungen und repräsentative Sichtflächen erste Wahl.
Satiniert
Die satinierte Oberfläche entsteht durch Bürsten, das weichere Minerale gezielt entfernt und der Fläche eine leichte Tiefe gibt. Mattes Erscheinungsbild mit subtiler Lichtreflexion und haptisch warmer Wirkung. Pflegeleicht, kratzunempfindlich und alltagstauglich — beliebte Alternative zur Politur in modernen Küchen und Wohnräumen.
Geschliffen C120
Mattes Erscheinungsbild durch groben Schliff mit Körnung C120 — die ebene Oberfläche zeigt eine zurückhaltendere Farbintensität als poliert und kann sichtbare Schleifspuren tragen. Im Vergleich zur Politur pflegeintensiver, aber stilistisch ruhiger; bevorzugte Wahl für moderne Innenarchitektur mit reduzierter Reflexion.
Geflammt + 1 x gebürstet
Die Oberfläche wird durch Hitze aufgeraut und einmal gebürstet, um scharfkantige Mineralreste zu glätten und loses Material zu entfernen. Etwas sanftere Haptik als rein geflammt, weiterhin rutschhemmend, Farbe weniger intensiv als poliert. Standardwahl für Außenbereiche, Terrassen und stark beanspruchte Bodenflächen.
Care & fabrication
As an Alpine gneiss, Sarizzo can be maintained over the long term and cleaned without difficulty. For kitchen worktops, external paving and heavily frequented floors we recommend a silane- or polysiloxane-based sealer — particularly for the Dubino and Sempione varieties with their higher water absorption. With Sarizzo Formazza the sealer is less critical; there it serves as additional protection against staining from red wine, coffee or oil. Routine cleaning is done with a pH-neutral natural stone cleaner and a soft microfibre cloth or mop; clear water alone is almost always sufficient for daily care. You should avoid strongly alkaline deep cleaners, acidic products such as vinegar or lemon cleaners, and abrasive scouring pads. Outdoors, Sarizzo is frost-resistant and tolerant of de-icing salt — salt residues should be rinsed off with water in spring. We recommend refreshing the sealer every three to five years depending on exposure and variety, more frequently for Dubino/Sempione outdoors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Sarizzo and Serizzo?
It is the same material — Sarizzo is the local dialect spelling, Serizzo the official Italian spelling. Both designations refer to the same trade group of Alpine gneisses from the Ossola and Simplon valleys in Piedmont and Lombardy.
Which varieties of Sarizzo are there?
Three DNSA-documented main varieties: Sarizzo Dubino from Dubino near Sondrio (on Lake Como) — the most widely built classic variety; Sarizzo Sempione from Crevoladossola/Trasquera/Varzo in the Simplon region; and Sarizzo Formazza from the Formazza valley near Premia. Visually very similar; technically it is above all water absorption that differs: at 0.31 per cent, Formazza is markedly denser than Dubino/Sempione (up to 2.75 per cent).
Which finishes are available for Sarizzo?
The surface finishes currently held in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block on this page.
Is Sarizzo suitable for kitchen worktops?
Yes, very much so. With high compressive strength (150–184 MPa), acid resistance and (in the case of Formazza) very low water absorption, Sarizzo is fit for everyday cooking, contact with water and heavily used kitchen surfaces. Wine, lemon juice or vinegar leave no etch marks. A sealer gives additional protection against strongly staining substances such as red wine and oil.
Is Sarizzo frost-resistant?
Yes, all varieties are frost-resistant according to DNSA and have been proven for centuries in the Alpine architecture of northern Italy, Switzerland and southern Germany. Sarizzo Dubino shows a post-frost compressive strength of 170 MPa — very robust even under repeated freeze-thaw cycling. Rinse off de-icing salt residues in spring.
Is the visible foliation in the slab pattern a quality deviation?
No, on the contrary — the foliation is the geological identifying feature of Sarizzo. As a gneiss, the material has a pronounced directional mineral banding, visible in the slab pattern as clear lines of movement. This is characteristic of the material and intended; when laying, the slabs can be deliberately oriented to compose with the direction of foliation.
Where is Sarizzo quarried?
Sarizzo is quarried in three northern Italian regions: at Dubino in the province of Sondrio (Lombardy, on Lake Como) for Sarizzo Dubino, at Crevoladossola/Trasquera/Varzo in the Simplon region (Piedmont) for Sarizzo Sempione, and in the Formazza valley near Premia (Piedmont) for Sarizzo Formazza. All three quarries work the Alpine basement.
