Carrara Marble Quaries

Where do they get all that marble?

May 6, Carrara Marble Quarry north of Lucca

Did you ever wonder where they got all those huge pieces of marble used to carve statues, like the David in Florence? Well, we found out first hand.

May 6 was a lovely day and we left at 9:00 to drive north along the coast to the town of Carrara. We transferred into two 4-wheel drive Land Rovers for the trip up into the mountains to see the marble quarry in action. Heiki was our guide, and as she drove the first vehicle, we could listen to her narration through sets of headphones. The mountains hold a series of working quarries so we were on the same roads as the large trucks that moved the stones down the mountain. At the first stop we could look over a pit and see the diamond studded chains being set, preparing to cut the huge blocks of marble.

From there we drove further up the mountain along narrow steep winding roads, making room for oncoming trucks when necessary. From that vantage point there was a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea. Next we drove back down to a road that broke off and went through a very long tunnel. This was where the trains used to run. Those trains took the marble down the mountain. From inside the tunnel we could see several underground quarries, which have been around for quite a long time. There will not be any more underground quarries started because they are expensive and do not produce better marble.

Some of these quarries were started in these Apuan Alps by the Romans. There have been at least 650 sites opened though the years. Each quarry is privately owned, and the work is very hazardous. The marble ranges from white to a blue-grey and is very high quality. It was from these quarries that the marble for the famous David statue in Florence was harvested.

Once back down the hill, we made a stop where we could look at two of the bridges used in the area. They were quite stunning with their arch support design. Back into the city of Carrara, we took a short walk to a local restaurant for lunch before heading back to Lucca.

In the evening some chose to go back into Lucca to have an "Aparativo." This means you buy a drink and it comes with some food; enough for us to call it dinner. From there we walked the short distance to the old church where we attended an evening concert. This particular night there was a soprano, a tenor, and a pianist. They performed a number of Puccini arias. It was nice to participate in a local cultural event. Such concerts go on there every evening.

That concluded a very interesting day.
Next we left for Florence and the Chianti region.

Paul in front of the "David" in Florence

The two vehicles that took us into the quarry.

The large equipment is dwarfed by the size of the mountain and blocks of marble.

Sharing the road with the large trucks