Carrara marble - the white gold of the Apuans

SanVentura

Enjoy a great tour with live-music into the white heart of the Apuans. Follow the ancient roads to the "Cathedral of Marble", a giant inside quarry. Visit a miners village, a roman quarry and more.

La Spezia Cruise Terminal

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An expedition in the footsteps of Michelangelo. Directly from the La Spezia Cruise Terminal (or from a previously agreed location) we drive to Carrara, 20 minutes away. Here we begin our journey up the white marble-dust covered serpentine roads into the mountains off the Iigurian-tuscan coast. Experience an unforgettable excursion into the marble heart of the Apuan Alps. Let yourself be carried away into a fascinating world for 6-7 hours. Explore an Italy as you have never seen it before: In a practical car (often an off-road Fiat Panda), we follow old transport roads high up into the mountains, past a sculptor's workshop and through archaic, mysterious transport tunnels. We reach the mighty "Cathedral of white Marble", a majestic quarry in the middle of the mountain, which we visit with a guided tour. After a 5-minute drive, we then reach the mountain village of Colonnata. It is famous for its lardo, the spicy bacon matured in marble troughs, invented by the slaves in ancient Rome. The now world-famous delicacy helped the "cavatori" to get enough energy during their hard work on the stone. In the next stop, we visit one of the oldest quarries high up on the mountain. On this archaeological site, you will learn how the Romans once brought marble to Rome and enjoy a fantastic view all the way to the sea. On the tour is the possibility to taste regional specialities or have lunch. (The type of meal depends on the seasonal opening hours of the local providers). The tour ends in the lively Marina di Carrara, where you can enjoy the best ice cream in the area. Here you can admire the large square in front of the church, whose floor is entirely made of marble. From Marina di Carrara, we will take you back to the starting point. (Route changes are possible) Your host, Clemens, speaks German, English and Italian. He is a musician, composer and the son of a sculptor. In his childhood, he spent a lot of time in Carrara, because he accompanied his father in the selection and purchase of the famous and snow-white "Marmo Statuario". Clemens accompanies the tour with his music and knows a lot about the precious stones. About CARRARA: Just beyond the Tuscan-Ligurian coast, the fantastic backdrop of mountains rising to over 1900 m opens up. The tour leads into the interior of the marble quarries with their over 2000-year history. It is a journey into another, traditional and fabulous world of a precious and world-famous rock: Carrara marble. The material from which monumental columns and the noblest works of art are made. Here, history and the present, nature and technology, ancient craftsmanship and ingenious art are mixed. The tour shows not only quarries, but the beauty of a region, its people and its cuisine. A region that has always achieved its prosperity from the export of white gold and its cordiality from the hard work on the stone.