Where is the marble quarry of Carrara?
Tuscany, Italy
It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara in the province of Massa and Carrara in the Lunigiana, the northernmost tip of modern-day Tuscany, Italy.
Who owns the Carrara quarries?
The Vanelli family has owned a quarry in Carrara, Italy for two centuries. For the past 200 years, it’s a family business that has been passed down from generation to generation. Currently at the helm is Gualtiero Vanelli who inherited the business from his grandmother in 2001.
Does all Carrara marble come from Italy?
The most common types of white Italian marble are Carrara, Calacatta and Statuario, all of which come from a region near the city of Carrara, Italy(open link on new tab).
Can marble be man made?
Real marble is a high-end, luxury natural stone quarried from the earth, and cultured marble isn’t, but it is related. Cultured marble is man-made, blending pulverized natural marble with synthetic resins and dyes. Once formed into a countertop, it’s coated with a clear, protective gel.
What is Carrara marble worth?
A slab of Carrara marble can cost up to $400 per square meter. The luxury stone comes the Apuan Alps, a mountain range in northern Tuscany that stretches for 58 km and reaches 2,000 meters high.
Is Carrara marble man made?
As we described above, natural marble requires more labor, from quarrying to transporting to cutting it in shape. Costs also vary depending on where the marble was quarried. Italian marble, particularly Calacatta and Carrara marble, is one of the most prized natural marble options.
Should Carrara marble be sealed?
Carrara marble is delicate, and it needs to be sealed frequently to keep it protected from spills and other potential dangers. Sealing the marble keeps moisture out of the naturally porous stone. We recommend sealing this marble at least once a year.
Is Carrara marble good quality?
While good-quality marbles, such as the world-famous products from Carrara, Italy, are dense and relatively nonporous—which makes them durable and stain-resistant—they also have weaknesses.
How are marble quarries formed?
Marble’s origins actually lie in marine organisms that leave behind their calcite-rich shells when they die. As water bodies evaporate, these deposited remains form limestone. If the limestone gets buried under multi-ton layers of rock, the intense pressure and heat cause it to metamorphose into marble.
Is Carrara marble high-end?
It’s a question of supply and demand. Of the three, and perhaps surprisingly, Carrara is the best-priced marble, since more is quarried and it’s seen as being less high-end. You might pay anywhere from $75 to $100 a square foot, uninstalled.
Why visit the Carrara marble quarries?
When one visits the Carrara marble quarries, the appreciation for the work and workers that contribute to each stage of the journey, from the mountain to the finished product, can be fully understood. In the Carrara marble basin, there are three areas designated to quarries, they are the known as the Torano, Colonnata and Fantiscritti quarries.
What are the Fantiscritti quarries of Carrara?
he Fantiscritti quarries (pictured) are one of the three historical quarries of Carrara’ s precious marble (Photo courtesy of Toni Brancatisano)
Where are the marble quarries in Luni Italy?
In the Carrara marble basin, there are three areas designated to quarries, they are the known as the Torano, Colonnata and Fantiscritti quarries. I visited the Fantiscritti quarries and they are the most famous of the once existing Roman city of Luni.
What is Carrara marble made of?
Marble formed from the purest limestone is the white marble characteristic of Carrara. Impurities such as clay or iron oxide give other marbles darker colors. PBS: Going Places. Highlights of Tuscany.