Carrara k ə ˈ r ɑːr ə kə rar ə italian.
Marble quarry florence italy.
Michelangelo opened them in 1518 for his never completed facade of the san lorenzo church in florence.
A luminary of italy s arte povera.
A look at how the stone is wrenched from the earth.
Carara is a city and comune in tuscany in central italy of the province of massa and carrara and notable for the white or blue grey marble quarried there.
It lies along the tyrrhenian and ligurian seas and comprises the provinces of massa carrara lucca pistoia prato firenze livorno pisa arezzo siena and grosseto.
It is on the carrione river some 100 kilometres 62 mi west northwest of florence its motto is fortitudo mea in rota latin.
Michelangelo travelled to the alpi apuane to choose his marble and eventually to open up rival quarries to those of carrara for his patrons the medici.
The renaissance was boom time for carrara.
Carrara marble has been used since the time of ancient rome and it was called the luni marble.
There is no public transportation to the quarries so the most convenient way to visit is by joining a small group tour or shore excursion.
Learn more about tuscany in this article.
Visit carrara and its impressive marble quarries.
The city of massa in particular saw much of its plan.
Carrara marble quarries tour map guide to visiting the quarries above carrara.
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.
The family created the office of marble in 1564 to regulate the marble mining industry.
Discovering the carrara marble quarries has given a completely new dimension to our way of appreciating stone sculptures.
The nearest city is carrara but day trips usually depart from la spezia or florence.
Leave florence and discover some of the most beautiful places in italy.
Tuscany region west central italy.
Join us for the ultimate adventure as we set out to explore some amazing attractions near florence to discover some of the most beautiful places in tuscany.
My strength is in the wheel.
The quarries among the marble crests of the.
Especially when visiting florence with its david or pietà by michelangelo or other masterpieces by arnolfo donatello pisano and more realizing all the work and risks involved before art actually starts is extremely.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the marble quarries were monitored by the cybo and malaspina families who ruled over massa and carrara.
The major city in the region is florence.