What is the essence of Carrara marble? A millennia-long history, the genius of the artists, the excellence of the great architecture, the skill of the best craftsmen and the authenticity of being natural and sustainable. Carrara is its marble. Marble is Carrara. A story that intertwines and makes marble the maximum expression of the genius and beauty of Italy all over the world. Marble is the immortal material by definition and is inimitable in the value of its uniqueness and unrepeatability. That is why it has always been recognised as a material of excellence.

Marble and Carrara are an inseparable couple, just as they are inseparable from the skill of those who work the marble. Extremely high-level competence in extraction and processing that are second to  none all over the world, thanks to thousands of years’ experience and skill consolidated through time. Today, these skills result in constant improvement in technology and continuous research for innovation towards 4.0 technology.

An ancestral relationship that can be breathed while wandering around the city where marble appears at every corner and is employed in such a variety of ways. A tangible sign of a lively and constant presence in the community, blending perfectly with the identity of the city.

We have chosen three elements among many that recount this millennia-long identity.

The Giant. It was created in 1530 by Bacio Bandinelli in honour of Admiral Andrea Doria in the guise of Neptune. However, the work was never finished due to disagreements between the Genoese family and the sculptor, thus it remained in Carrara. Thirty years later, by the will of Alberico I Cybo-Malaspina it was erected in piazza del Duomo where it still stands today in all its grandeur.

The Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara. Founded in 1769 by the will of the Princess of Carrara Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina and directed by the sculptor Giovanni Antonio Cybei, it is the moral guardian of sculptural art having hosted as students, professors and guests, famous artists like Fontana, Finelli and Canova. Still today it hosts hundreds of students from all continents

The Post Office Building. Built in 1934 to provide the city with a modern post office, at the time it was an example of the application of marble in civil architecture. Designed by the Carrarese architect Giuseppe Boni, the entire building is clad in light bardiglio with dark bardiglio inserts. The entrance is dominated by two majestic statues by Sergio Vatteroni that portray the two marble crafts par excellence: the Quarryman and the Sculptor. The inside is also clad in light bardiglio with dark inserts.