Gneiss
The gneiss outcropping at Sils Maria reveals its deep origin through alternating light and dark bands composed of quartz, feldspars, and biotite. This structure, formed under high pressures and temperatures during the building of the Alps, preserves the memory of powerful geological processes.
On the surface, pioneer lichens — Rhizocarpon geographicum (yellow-green), grey crustose forms of Lecidea and Porpidia, and orange patches attributable to Xanthoria — create an intricate blend of colours. The oxidation of iron-rich minerals adds brown and reddish tones, turning the rock into a kind of natural palette that tells the story of the meeting between metamorphism and life.
Gneisses are among the most widespread rocks forming the backbone of the Alps and characterise many areas of the Engadine. In Sils Maria, ancient glacial sculpting has smoothed these surfaces, leaving them exposed to weathering and to the lichens that now inhabit every fold. It is a quiet geography, where the landscape recounts the long history of the mountains.
ART°GALLERY
last
next
