The Traditions of Carrara Marble

The northern Tuscan city of Carrara has produced marble since the Roman era. In the city’s quarries, up in the Apuan Alps, you’ll explore the history and heritage around this celebrated material with a quarryman-guide. Relax on the drive up the coast from Livorno. In Carrara, you’ll transfer to 4x4 vehicles to head up to the mountain quarries, where you’ll meet your guide, Marco Bernacca. Bernacca’s family has worked here for four generations and now owns quarry 177, one of the oldest in the world. Here you’ll see how the manufacturing process has evolved from ancient times to the present day. Take a break at L’Incanto, a traditional snack-bar located next to the Vara Bridges, which were built as part of the 19th-century marble railway that served the quarries. There you’ll be served a tasting selection of lardo, a spiced, cured pork fatback made in the nearby village of Colonnata, along with wine and other snacks. Spread on toast, lardo was typical breakfast fare for quarry workers. The next stop is the Michelangelo quarry, where the great Renaissance artist selected the marble for sculptural masterpieces like La Pietà. You’ll then drive into the heart of a mountain to a third quarry. The open-sky quarry completes your visit. From here, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views of the Apuan-Versilian coastline, the Ligurian sea, the villages of Cinque Terre and the Gulf of La Spezia. At the end of the tour, you’ll return to Carrara and transfer back to the minivan for the drive back to port.