tours
pietrasanta, carrara
Carrara, the northernmost province of Tuscany,
is situated close to the Apuan Alps and is known throughout
the world for its splendid marble. Michelangelo used the marble
of Carrara, a very fine-grained white marble, for the realization
of his magnificent works.
During the tour we will visit the Marble Museum, where someone will explain you
the techniques of extraction from Roman times to the present,
the techniques of transport and the main varieties of marble
mined and processed in Carrara. The visit of the museum can
be followed by optional visit to the quarry in the gallery,
unique in the world.
Not far from the quarries is the village of Colonnata, known for the production
of fat. The fat of Colonnata is a Protected Geographical Indication
product that is seasoned in the Carrara marble basins. The
maturation in marble (6-10 months) - with the addition of spices
like pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, sage, rosemary -
gives to the finished product a unique flavor.
Down through the valley, we can stop in Pietrasanta to see how expert artisans
still work marble to obtain real works of art. There are some
laboratories where the artisans can realize personalized objects.
Upon request we can also visit Forte dei Marmi, the town from where Michelangelo
embarked the marble to send it to Rome. Forte dei Marmi is
a resort on the Versilia area very well known and appreciated
and frequented by famous people.