Overview
The city with a marble heart
Carrara embodies a dual soul, divided between the sea and the mountains, and a unique “marble heart”. Even before the Romans, the Etruscans realised the immense potential of the area, which stretches along the slopes of the Apuan Alps and plunges into the blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The first quarries date back to the 6th century BC. This precious white material, highly valued worldwide, is still mined today, millennia later.
The area around Carrara falls within the territory of the Alpi Apuane Geopark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015. As well as the quarries, the park also boasts fascinating karstic chasms and caves.
In the city, you can admire the Cathedral of St Andrew the Apostle, Piazza D’Armi and the Museum of Marble. If you get chance, stop by the Academy of Fine Arts, inside the Palazzo Cybo Malaspina, famous for its sculpture courses.
You can’t leave without first tasting Lardo di Colonnata, a cured pork fat with a delicate flavour, left to mature in marble vats for no fewer than six months. It is a true speciality of the area.
