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CARRARA
MARBLE -
History
Carrara, on the northern Tuscan coast, is the capital city of marble. It is situated in a region called Versiglia, an area dominated by the Appuana Alps. Versiglia's rich green olive tree plantations cede into the deep blue Mediterranean sea. Carrara has the beautiful mediterranean setting we all know or all dream about.
Carrara marble is extracted from the heart of the Appuana Alps. From a
distance, the blinding white walls make this fascinating area appear to be
covered with snow, it is only as we approach that we realise we are in fact
faced with bare solid marble walls.
Through
the centuries, the whole area was frequented by well known artists like
Rennaissance masters Michelangelo Buonarotti and Giorgio Vassari. Some artists
came from very far and some were born and bread in the region. They all however
lived to breathe the white dust of pure marble bringing stone to life.
The small comunity of Pietrasanta, a few km south of Carrara, is the main hub for artists and skilled craftsmen. You can easily bump into an artisan over a cup of coffee, discussing the best way to evoke creative ideas through the caressing of Carrara's white marble. The two main schools that form the backbone of this community are the Stagio Stagi and the Istituto Delle Belle Arti Carrara (school of fine arts).
While innovative techniques have brought changes to much of the marble
prepared
for tiling and covering (they are no longer hand cut but machine cut) a
significant part of local production remains dedicated to producing hand
made decorative elements such as basins, fountains, chimney places and columns.
The same craftsmen create other forms of interior design accessories and
objects that are often produced to individual design specifications. Many
of these products rely on the same equipment craftsmen used centuries ago
Even today, these men continue the traditions and express Carrara's captivating marble in the souls of their creations.