Apuan Alps Marble

Marble from the apuane mountains was used by michelangelo to sculpt his masterpieces and the great artist himself worked in the quarries for some time.

Apuan alps marble.

The apuan alps are rich in marble the white world famous carrara marble which has been extracted from open quarries in the side of the mountains for many centuries since roman times. The mountains are lined with the beautiful white carrara marble. Alpi apuane are a mountain range in northern tuscany italy they are included between the valleys of the serchio and magra rivers and to the northwest the garfagnana and lunigiana with a total length of approximately 55 kilometres 34 mi. The tradition of marble quarrying in the spectacular setting of the apuan alps is very ancient probably started during the iron age by the ligurian people as witnessed by the necropolis of cafaggio in ameglia close to luna this site dates back to the 4th century bc and has white marble deposits and rudimentary cover cases composed of recycled materials.

The light colored stone gives the mountain range a look as though they are covered in snow year round. It s there the origin of statues monuments and buildings. Prestigious and rich materials that have marked architecture over the centuries. The apuan alps italian.

In the past the blocks of marble were carried to the plain with. Carrara is world famous for its white marble pure and without veining. Marble also facilitates the engineering industry as regards the production of innovative machineries to excavate and produce the granite. You just need to look up and see the uncovered mountains of the apuan alps.

High in the apuan alps of tuscany sits monte altissimo a 5 213 foot 1 589 meter mountain climbed in 1517 by the italian artist michelangelo in pursuit of fine marble for his sculptures. The name derives from the apuani ligures tribe who lived here in ancient times. The backdrop for a car chase in the james bond film quantum of solace this landscape is home to the world s largest and whitest marble field formed over 200m years. Apuane collection brings the flavor of the prestigious marbles extracted in the apuan alps alpi apuane in italian site of the most important italian marble quarries since the roman times.

In the apuan alps the spectacular marble quarries offer an evocative sight. From close up the soaring opencast quarries in tuscany s apuan alps look like colossal ice fortresses on another planet. But the pristine white is not snow it is the marble of the bare quarried faces of the mountains the snow the gods made eternal. Since then it has been used for all sorts of different purposes.

These are the alpi apuane or apuan alps mountains that gleam as though cloaked with snow all year round. From the simple objects to more famous works of art and architecture.