The exhibition itinerary
Error
Section 1
The Apuan Alps: mountains of marble
The Apuan Alps in northern Tuscany hold vast deposits of marble, famed since antiquity for its outstanding quality. In the middle of the first century B.C.E., the Romans began intensive extraction, opening several quarries. Regarded as one of the finest marbles in the world, it was chosen as the raw material for the production of sculptures and architectural elements. It came to be known as Lunense marble—from Luni, the name of the central locality of the area, whose port was the point of departure for the ships carrying the precious stone to Rome. The spectacular panorama combining mountains and sea, and the astonishing quality and color of this marble, have attracted artists and architects throughout the ages. [Digital Library]