The marble mountains that guard Italy's white gold

There is a place of incredible beauty linked to our land, to our history. A place where the color white , shining in the sun, is the absolute protagonist of ethereal, magical, and almost surreal visions .

These are the Apuan Alps, the marble mountains. Those marble basins that over the centuries have become Italy's treasure, our white gold . Among the most famous are those of Carrara, the city that more than any other preserves and tells a centuries-old and eternal love story with Michelangelo and Canova's favorite material.

The quarries open up before visitors' eyes like dreamlike visions, paving the way for the path that leads directly into the belly of the mountain, right where the marble is born.

Apuan Alps: The Marble Mountains of Yesterday and Today

The history of Italy's precious white gold has ancient roots. The Romans used this material to build their luxurious homes and public works, and the Etruscans did before them.

In subsequent eras, marble has remained a central feature of our history . It has been used by great artists to create iconic masterpieces, religious sculptures, and even furniture. And today, as in the past, it is used in the construction of some of the most important architectural and sculptural works in the world.

A grand and glorious history, that of Italy's white gold, which brings us today to the Apuan Alps , from which the world's most famous stone material is still extracted.

The quarries in the marble basins are so fascinating today that many people come here to relive the magic of an unforgettable past and a still vivid and extraordinary present.

The marble quarries are located in Torano, Fantiscritti, and Colonnata . They can be visited on guided tours that follow the former Marble Railway and pass through evocative landscapes of tunnels dug into the rock, bridges, and breathtaking views that follow one after another. Alternatively, the quarries (Fantiscritti Museum Quarry, Ravaccione Gallery Quarry, and Quarry 177) can be reached by car or motorbike, following the road from Carrara to the marble fields.

History told in museums

There is another way to enter the universe of marble , to touch its beauty with your own hands, and it is an itinerary that passes through the museums.

There are several institutions that, through stories, testimonies, collections, and sculptures, allow us to understand the thousand-year history of Italy's white gold.

One of the most famous is undoubtedly the Cava Museo Fantiscritti , located right in the heart of the Carrara quarries, amidst the white marble. Through an immense collection of sculptures, life-size works, and artifacts, it's possible to discover the history of the ancient quarrymen's profession.

We then find the Padula Park , a large green garden on the outskirts of Carrara which hosts a permanent exhibition of works created by various artists during the 2002 International Sculpture Biennial of the City of Carrara.

Last but not least, the Civic Marble Museum . With artifacts, sculptures, tools, and documents, the museum houses the most complete and fascinating collection related to the material, testifying to and highlighting the city's important connection with this local and global heritage .

Legends and curiosities

There's no shortage of legends, such as the one that tells of the two Archangels called by God to shape the landscape: one designed the Alpine chain, the other began to shape the Apennines. Left with an abundance of marble, the Archangel of the Alps transformed it into a series of majestic, gleaming peaks. God, amazed by such beauty, ordered the mountains to be covered with forests and meadows so that man could find their true treasure only through sweat and patience. And so dreamlike white mountains were born, visible only to those who knew how to search for marble beneath the vegetation.

Then there's the story of the Dead Man, the stone profile connecting the Pania della Croce to the Pania Secca , carved, according to folk tales, by the sacrifice of a young shepherd. Out of love for his maiden, he offered to remain immobile among the mountains, preventing her from gazing at the sea. Since then, he has remained there, completely still, forever a stone giant, a symbol of faith, love, and legend.