Carrara Marble Mines

Historically the transport of the blocks along the steep rocky slopes of the quarries was a very risky activity which engaged workers with increasingly more evolved methods as the economic and social conditions of the region evolved.

Carrara marble mines.

Marble maintains the local economy. Learn how the marble was mined to build the pantheon and trajan s column in ancient rome and how it was often used for sculpture during the renaissance. For anyone interested in adventure or the art of marble cutting a visit to the carrara mable mines becomes a fantastic and unusual outing and is highly recommended. During the renaissance marble quarried in carrara was used by michelangelo who visited the caves to personally choose blocks for his artworks.

Touring the marble mines in the apuan alps in northern tuscany is an incredible visual experience which is why the location was chosen for the chase scene in the james bond film quantum of solace. It s all understandable carrara is worldwide famous for its white marble but much less popular as a tourist destination. The family created the office of marble in 1564 to regulate the marble mining industry. While planning a recent trip to tuscany i decided that it was high time to visit the area of carrara and its famous marble mines.

In carrara producing and selling marble is the way of life. Carrara marble has been used since the time of ancient rome and it was called the luni marble. Interior of the carrara cathedral. In the 17th and 18th centuries the marble quarries were monitored by the cybo and malaspina families who ruled over massa and carrara.

The carrara marble as other types of marble is a metamorphic rock made from microscopically small calcium carbonate crystals. Where is carrara. Carrara marble block price. Carrara is located by the sea along the coast of northern tuscany across the boundary of tuscany and liguria traveling on the a12 motorway between viareggio and la spezia you note the marble quarries that stretch for about 3 km on the side of the apuan alps.

Visit the marble quarries of carrara on a half day tour from colonnata that highlights the marble industry in italy.