Carrara Marble Quarries
Cave di marmo di Carrara
White marble mountains in the Apuan Alps, quarried for two thousand years, where Michelangelo chose his stone and you can tour the quarry caves
The Carrara quarries lie in the Apuan Alps and have been worked since Roman times. Michelangelo's David, among other works, was carved from the white marble found here. The most convenient place to visit is the Fantiscritti quarry, which has an open-air marble museum. You can ride into the mountain to an underground quarry cave (about €15), or join a jeep tour up to see the open quarry faces. The nearby village of Colonnata produces cured pork fatback (lardo). From La Spezia it is about 40 minutes by car, and public transport is inconvenient.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–18:00 (varies by season and tour dates)
Nearby sights
- Tellaro
- Lerici and Lerici Castle
- Palmaria Island
- Portovenere
- Castle of San Giorgio, La Spezia
- Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montenero
- Riomaggiore
- Via dell'Amore