Carrara, world capital of marble, as well as the capital of the Apuan-Versilian stone industrial district, is located on the Ligurian Sea, in northwestern Tuscany. Its origins are tied to its precious marble, known worldwide since Roman times; today, speaking of Carrara means evoking marble and its quarries, so precious that it is called “white gold,” so well-known that it attracts artists and distinguished men from all eras and places.
Together with the nearby city of Massa, it gives its name to the Province of Massa-Carrara, which extends from the sea to the Apuan Alps, to the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, bordering to the south with Versilia (province of Lucca), to the east with Garfagnana, to the north with Reggio Emilia and Parma, to the northwest with La Spezia, at the center of a dense network of road, rail, maritime, and airport connections that make it easily accessible.
Many villages in the Carrara mountains were linked to agricultural-pastoral activities, such as Castelpoggio, while others, like Colonnata, Torano, and Bedizzano, marked by countless marble finishes, grew in function of marble extraction. In particular, Bedizzano, which in the 16th century had become the summer residence of the Cybo Malaspina, presents a unique urban image, while among the settlements on the plain only Avenza has very ancient origins.
Visit to the historic center
The original urban core was constituted by the Pieve di S. Andrea (12th century), now the Cathedral, defended in the 13th century by a wall that enclosed the fortress and the town hall.
The emblem of the municipality of Carrara is the wheel, just as one interpretation of the toponym derives the origin of the name from “Cararia” = place of carts, the same ones used to transport marble blocks. The emblem appears on the facades of ancient and prestigious buildings, not least the Duomo. The wheel is associated with the motto: Fortitudo mea in rota (my strength is in the wheel).
In 1557 Alberico I Cybo Malaspina expanded and modified the urban layout of the city; the new wall enclosed even the outer villages of the medieval walls, Caffaggio and Grazzano, and within the new structure was placed the beautiful Alberica square. In the 19th century, the city underwent a new territorial expansion, thanks to the economic and demographic growth driven by the development of the stone industry.
The 19th century saw the construction of a port for the shipment of marbles, later a pier connected first to the Avenza railway station and then to the Marble Railway that led to the quarries.
Malaspina Castle of Carrara (11th century) – Academy of Fine Arts
The ancient castle of Carrara represented the city’s achieved autonomy from the power of the Bishops of Luni. Indeed, in the 13th century, the city’s secular forces strengthened the military organization of the village, reinforcing the Fortress.
Subsequent transformations turned the defensive instrument into a splendid noble residence, flanked by the Prince’s palace erected by Alberico Cybo-Malaspina (16th century).
This building became, in 1805, the seat of the Academy of Fine Arts.
The palace of the Academy presents, on the square of the same name, the facade with predominantly 17th-century lines, with orders of large windows and an important portal marked by multiple marble insertions.
Information:
Tel. 0585 71 658
lbatini@comune.carrara.ms.it
www.accademiacarrara.it
Outside the center
Civic Marble Museum
Established in 1982 on the initiative of the Municipality of Carrara, it collects and documents the culture of marble.
It is divided into six internal sections and an external area that, through an interdisciplinary approach, offer the visitor a complex and fascinating image of the local heritage: “Roman Archaeology and History of the Territory” with precious historical artifacts found in the quarry, the richest “Marble Collection” in Italy, “Industrial Archaeology” with machinery and tools for the extraction and processing of marble from Roman times to the present day; “Technical Applications” with examples of art design, “Casts” in plaster and reproductions of marble icons for substitute restoration and “Modern Sculpture” with valuable works in marble, bronze, wood, and other materials.
A multimedia space gives voice and words to the millennial culture of marble, using new audio-visual and computer technologies.
Information:
V.le XX Settembre, loc. Stadio, Carrara.
Tel. and fax 0585.845746
museo.del.marmo@comune.carrara.ms.it
Information:
V.le XX Settembre, loc. Stadio, Carrara.
Tel. and fax 0585.845746
museomarmo@amiatelfree.it
Marina di Carrara
It extends along the sea 7 km from the center of Carrara. Modern and dynamic, rich in pine forests and equipped green spaces, it is a renowned tourist resort offering a beach area equipped with private and municipal bathing establishments.
Marina di Carrara, thanks to its Nautical Club, has been a breeding ground for champions who have distinguished themselves on regatta fields around the world, such as Luca Santella, the Chieffi brothers, and Paolo Bottari.
The urban furnishings of Piazza Menconi, completely paved in marble with a splendid fountain, are of notable beauty.
Moneta: the Village and the Castle (11th century)
The first certain mention of Moneta dates back to 1035.
It was part of a complex defense and control system of the Carrione stream valley. When these functions ceased, the site was abandoned by its inhabitants who relocated their new residences in the underlying village of Fossola. The decline was completed at the beginning of the 19th century.
From the remains of the 16th-century church of San Giovanni, an arched door leads into the heart of the walled village: a path allows you to skirt what remains of the towers, walls, and bastions.
The fortress consists of a mighty keep and a high defensive curtain protected by a moat.
Avenza: Tower of Castruccio Castracani (14th century)
The village of Avenza is documented starting from the year 1000, although an earlier presence is not excluded. Its strategic location on transit routes favored its development. In this context, the construction of the fortification by Castruccio Castracani at the beginning of the 14th century should be placed. This famous condottiero may have expanded pre-existing structures, but it is certain that the current tower dates back to the period of his presence.
Nature and trails
The Apuan Alps Park
The Apuan Alps are unique for their geo-morphological and naturalistic characteristics: the chain extends for about 60 km along the Tyrrhenian coast in the areas of Versilia, Lunigiana, and Garfagnana, and is known for the beauty of its marbles and for the deep abysses, the large cavities of the karst subsoil, and for the different nature of the rocks that determine the presence of varied and contrasting environments.
These favor the rich flora and fauna of the territory.
To see in the park, among other things: the medieval village of Casola in Lunigiana and the Museum of the Territory of the Alta Valle Aulella; Equi Terme (Fivizzano) with its caves and spas, the Canyon of Solco d’Equi, the village, and the valley of Vinca; the village of Colonnata in Carrara, the marble basin, and the Fantiscritti quarry museum.
Information:
Via Corrado del Greco, 11 55047 Seravezza (LU);
Tel. 0584 75821 – Fax 0584 75 82 03
www.parcapuane.it
In the gastronomic palette, the rosé lardo di Colonnata, flavored with the aromas of the Apuan Alps and a mixture of spices, seasoned and preserved in the typical “marble of Canaloni” basins.
The bread is kneaded by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven, according to the ancient teaching, a legacy of the mountain villages.
The erbi, wild herbs essential for chained polenta, prepared with cornmeal, erbi, and black-eyed peas.
How can we not mention the taglierini in beans that have marked the food time of our people?
Among the first courses to taste, we remember: lasagna, stringoni (tagliatelle), topeti (gnocchi) followed by the very proud tordelli.
Among the second courses stand out: tripe, marinated cod, stockfish with potatoes, and many other Carrara delicacies.
The typical desserts are: rice cake, frisòli (sweet rice fritters), fugaza (focaccia rich in raisins, pine nuts, and fennel seeds) and closing the roundup are castagnaccio and chestnut flour fritters with ricotta.
| Address | Piazza 2 Giugno, 1 |
| Municipality | Carrara (MS) |
| Telephone | 0585.6411 |
| Fax | 0585.641381 |
| urp@comune.carrara.ms.it | |
| Website | www.comune.carrara.ms.it |
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