The marble quarries of Carrara, universally recognized as yielding one of the finest quality marbles in the world, are a unique and not to be missed sight. In fact, the world's largest marble deposit is thought to be that in these mountains north of Carrara, which are part of the Alpi Apuane mountain chain.
The marble deposits are distributed in the three main valleys that branch out beyond the limits of Carrara: Colonnata, Miseglia and Torano. The quarries are an incredible sight, indescribable, like nothing else.
No photograph can ever succeed in fully conveying the sensation you'll feel standing in the pit, surrounded by impossibly tall, shining white mountains of pure marble.
These quarries are also unique in terms of geology, history, art and archeology.
The ancient Romans used this stone to rebuild Rome, among others, and then employed this shining white marble to erect monuments and statues throughout the Empire.
You'll recognize this marble in every important museum,
palazzo and church in Italy, and it has been sculpted into masterpieces by the most celebrated artists of the past: Donatello, Michelangelo, Bernini, and numberless other artists and architects, right up to the present day.
