The marble quarries in Carrara, Tuscany

In the marvelous Apuan Alps, in north-west of Tuscany, it can be found one of the most precious materials in the world: Carrara marble.
This unique white marble has been extracted from the quarries of the mountains and has been used since ancient times for sculptures and works of art all over the world, including the famous David by Michelangelo in Florence. Many famous monuments of ancient Rome were also built using this precious metamorphic rock: from the Pantheon to the Pyramid of Cestius, including all the architecture of the fascist era present in the important EUR district in Rome.
The Carrara quarries, which appear to the eye as huge white walls on the mountain, open up in a scenario characterized by a succession of changing and fascinating landscapes declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Enjoy this truly unique and suggestive experience inside the immense quarry for the extraction of the precious Carrara marble. On board of Outreach’s accessible private van, you will have direct access to the tunnels dug into the rock and enter a world that seems made out of a movie.
An expert bilingual guide will tell you about the ancient and fascinating history of marble, the extraction and transportation methods as well as the fascinating evolution of techniques from Roman times to the present day.
You will be shown how the blocks intended for sculpture are extracted, what are the cutting techniques and what are the specific machinery for the excavation. Visiting the marble quarries will allow you to retrace centuries of history and discover a world made of fine work and outstanding materials.