What is Carrara marble and how is it mined?

One of the most valuable and well-known types of marble is Carrara. In fact, under this name, many varieties are combined that are mined in the vicinity of Carrara, a city in Northern Italy. This material is actively used in construction, when creating sculptures or for interior decoration.

There are over 100 varieties of marble in various shades. Carrara is the highest quality and most expensive among them. The word "marble" is translated from Greek as "shining". It is a crystalline rock that includes dolomite or calcite, depending on the variety. The only place on Earth where such a stone is mined is Carrara in the Italian province of Tuscany.

The material is appreciated all over the world. Its features are beauty and decorativeness. Carrara marble is known for its snow-white hue. However, its color is sometimes different - it can have different gradations between white and gray shades.

There is a classification of the types of Carrara marble.

• The first group includes low quality material. It includes the varieties Bianco Carrara, Bargello. This stone is used to decorate those projects where a large amount of marble is needed.
• The second group is the varieties of the junior suite class: Statuaretto, Bravo Venato, Palisandro.
• The third group includes varieties of the highest quality. This is the most expensive material. The best varieties include Calacata, Michelangelo, Caldia, Statuario, Portoro.

Italian marble is easy to work with and has a fine to medium grain structure. The use of varieties belonging to the first group allows the active use of marble from Italy for home decoration at a reasonable price. The Bianca Carrara variety is often used for this purpose. When they talk about the deposit in Carrara, many believe that it is one rock mass.

In fact, we are talking about many isolated workings in the ridge, giving stones of different colors and qualities. They differ in the degree of the presence of a white background and in the characteristics of the veins. Although the vast majority of mined stone is white or gray, material comes across in dark purple, blue, peach shades. By the way, the famous Medici marble was mined here, which has characteristic dark purple breaks.

This stone can only be mined around the city of Carrara in Northern Italy. The city appeared as a small village in the 10th century, but marble was mined here long before that, during the entire Roman period. Since the 5th century, due to the raids of the barbarians, mining has not been carried out. It was renewed in the middle of the 12th century. After ordering this stone for the construction of a baptistery in Pisa, it became very popular in Europe. It is mined in the Apuan Alps, a 60 km long ridge.

In ancient times, mining was organized differently. Workers expanded natural cracks in the stone, splitting it into pieces. The finished blocks were moved in two ways:

• the stone slid on boards soaked in soapy water, often damaging the material and causing serious injuries to workers;
• round wooden parts were placed under the blocks - the stone moved due to their rotation.

Now, to cut stone, discs without teeth, made of high-strength steel, are commonly used. During work, they are abundantly watered with water and sand. Sometimes a wire saw is used for this purpose. Carrara has a Museum of Marble, founded in 1982. It tells about the history of mining, the equipment of workshops for stone processing. Here are copies of famous sculptures made from this stone.

For centuries, stone has been used to create some of the greatest works of art.

• The "Temple of All Gods" (Pantheon), a monument of Roman architecture of the heyday, was built from it. It was used in the creation of a Hindu temple in Delhi, a mosque in Abu Dhabi.
• This material was used by famous sculptors of mankind. Michelangelo created the statue of David at the beginning of the 16th century. He made it from one block of marble, five meters long. The statue was erected in Florence in Piazza della Signoria.
• Another masterpiece made from this material is the composition Pieta, located in the Vatican. Here the Virgin Mary was depicted holding a lifeless Jesus in her arms. The sculptor skillfully depicted even the smallest details of the composition.

However, a place for this material can be found not only in world-class masterpieces, but also in an ordinary house. Carrara marble is considered one of the finest finishing materials in the world. The use of marble and other types of stone to decorate stylish interiors has become very common. An example is the Carrara marble kitchen countertop. If it is supplemented with an apron made of this material, then the kitchen will become not only stylish, but also take on a very expensive look.

Using diode illumination, you can visually create the impression that the stone is weightless. The material is actively used in the design of bathrooms. Wall tiles, sinks and countertops are made from it. A combination of Carrara marble and glass looks good in the bathroom. Glass partitions conceal the massiveness and monumentality of the stone details. If you make a bathroom from such marble, it will serve for a long time, emphasizing the luxury of the interior.

It is believed that the service life of this material reaches 80 years or more. In the interior of the living room, it can be used as floor and wall tiles. Countertops, fireplace facades can be made from it. This material can be used for both classic and modern design. Carrara marble combines sophistication with practicality and durability. Suitable for creating both large and small items.