Stone-Ideas.com 
In preparation of the 2026 Winter Games, which will take place from February 06 to 22 in northern Italy, a marble “Cuore Olimpico” (Olympic Heart) was installed in front of the Palazzo Lombardia in Milan. It is intended to draw attention to the fact that the entire Lombardy region sees itself as the venue for the sporting event, not just cities such as Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The sculpture was created by Merli Marmi, a company founded in 1899 and based in Voghera To meet sustainability requirements, work on the sculpture was carried out only on days when the photovoltaic systems provided all the electricity needed for water-jet cutting. In Milan, the fairground and the stadium will host the Olympic competitions, among others (Italian, 1).
Brazil’s stone sector had 2025 as the best year ever in terms of exports: the year ended with a high of US$1.48 billion, an increase of 17.5% compared to 2024. This result surpasses the previous record reached in 2021, according to data from the Brazilian Natural Stone Association Centrorochas (1, 2).
In 2026, the major Italian bank UniCredit will support the most important trade fairs of Veronafiere, including Marmomac. It will provide its own areas for networking and hospitality activities. Both are committed to strengthening the Made in Italy brand (Italian).
Kiruna in Sweden is known for its iron ore mines. The city has since been relocated because the ground beneath it was becoming unstable. However, the new Kiruna is considerably colder than the old one: this is due to its location in a hollow where cold air collects in winter, tall buildings that block the low sun‘s rays from the streets, and straight streets through which the icy winter wind blows.
In the future, December 11 will be celebrated annually worldwide as International Mountain Day (IMD). The United Nations General Assembly decided this.
Nowegean Geoarchaeologist Per Storemyr has published in his blog the story of “The Østre Vimme Multiperiod Quarry With Very Soft Soapstone“.
Kishangarh, located in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan, India, is a famous tourist attraction for its 200-acre site where the local stone companies dump the slurry from their marble processing. Solidified, the waste forms a landscape resembling a snowfield. Research has shown that calcium carbonate waste is harmful to health and the environment in the long term (1, 2).
An ancient marble statue of a woman, found in 2003 at Chersonesos Taurica, outside of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, may have been created in remembrance of her role in the city’s independence, Smithsonian Magazine reports.
Video of the month: In Canada, the national parliament building in Ottawa has been undergoing restoration and modernization since 2018. The building, which dates from 1916 to 1927, is called the “Centre Block.” The video was shot at the start of the project and provides an overview of the planned work, including construction of the new visitor center. We have linked to a webpage with updates on the current status.