Carrara

Carrara

Central Italy

Tuscany

Massa-Carrara (province)

Carrara Carrara is a city of 60,000 people (2020) in Tuscany that is famous for its marble. The extraction of marble in Carrara has been documented since ancient times. Today's city of Carrara, located at the foot of the Apennines, was founded in the 11th century and marble quarrying resumed in the 12th century. Over the centuries the city of Carrara has expanded towards the sea, where today most of the population is located. Starting from the 19th century, the village of Marina di Carrara was built on the seashore as a summer resort. Marble quarrying and processing is still the dominant industry.

By car Take the A12 highway and exit at the Carrara toll booth. By train

Carrara-Avenza station . along the Genoa-Pisa line managed by RFI ( updated Feb 2023 )

The town centre is compact and walkable. A car is recommended for exploring the surrounding area. Local buses may connect to nearby villages.

Palazzo Cybo Malaspina ( Ducal Palace ). It is a complex of buildings consisting of an early medieval castle to which a stately palace was added in the Renaissance period. The Castle (or Rocca) has very ancient origins and was built on previous fortifications perhaps dating back to the Byzantine-Lombard period. The Renaissance Palace was added in 1519 and enlarged by his son Alberico I in 1557. The Castle-Palace became the seat of the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara in 1806, making it one of the oldest in Italy and in Europe. The building still presents itself today with two distinct views: the west and south-west sides show a characteristic Renaissance architecture, corresponding to the more recent Prince's Palace, while the east side still retains the ancient medieval style of the original castle. ( updated Dec 2022 )

Antica Città di Luni ( Luni Museum and Archaeological Zone ), Via Appia 9, Luni , ☏ +39 0187 66811 . Tu-Sa 08:30-19:30 (last admission 18:30), Su 08:30-14:00 (last admission 13:00) . Includes an amphitheater and the National Archaeological Museum of Luni. €5, reduced €3, under 18 free, free on 1st Su of each month . ( updated Feb 2023 ) Squares and streets

Piazza del Duomo ( Cathedral Square ). It has a trapezoidal shape and is surrounded by medieval buildings which were restructured and enlarged several times in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, such as the elegant and decorated (internally and externally) Baroque palace of the Sarteschi counts on the west side, the old rectory on the south side (still in Gothic style on the ground floor), the house where Michelangelo Buonarroti lived on the north side almost as a continuation of the south side of the Cathedral in Romanesque-Gothic style. Between the "Buonarroti" house and the apse of the cathedral, the "new" sixteenth-century rectory can be glimpsed with frescoed walls and the bell tower, consisting of a square-plan tower with a marble structure, surmounted by an octagonal spire whose model can almost be found identical in bell towers which are scattered along the, i.e. Comacini masters) of cathedrals that descended from the north of France, crossed the Savoy region, overcoming the historic passes of the Western Alps (Lanslebourg, Aosta) touching Liguria (Lavagna, Genoa) until arriving in Carrara, the historic place of excavation and processing of stone.

Piazza Alberica ( Alberica Square ). The square owes its name to Alberico I Cybo-Malaspina, who had it built in the seventeenth century close to the city walls, which he himself had built with a second layout (1557-1637) to include the growing urban expansion. Via Alberica .

Events and festivales CarraraMarmotec: International fair of marble and technologies for its processing. Carrara Festival Marble Weeks: Marble exhibits and installations are arranged throughout the city edit Solemnity of San Ceccardo: July 16th. Patron of the city. Solemnity of Our Lady of the People: Second Sunday of May and third Sunday of November. Patroness of the historic centre.

Local restaurants and trattorias serve regional cuisine featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients. Traditional dishes reflect the local culinary heritage.

Cafes and bars in the town centre serve coffee, wine, and local beverages. Regional wines and spirits are worth sampling.

Hotel Exclusive Carrara , Viale Cristoforo Colombo, 57/63 ( in Marina di Carrara ), ☏ +39 0585 55871 , fax : +39 0585 789263 . Hotel & wellness centre 150 m from the sea. Rooms range from basic to luxury. Apartments available. ( updated Feb 2023 )

In Carrara there are numerous shops selling marble items, such as sculptures, statues, busts and tombs.

Equi Terme's spa , ☏ +39 0585 949339 . Equi Terme is located close to one of the most majestic peaks of the Apuan Alps, Pizzo d'Uccello, perched on a steep hill that you just rock. The north wall of this mountain, famous among mountain climbers, seems to want to protect the small village in Lunigiana, pleasant, mysterious, full of atmosphere that only inhabited places for a long time can give: His cave, a veritable natural spectacle, gave evidence in the light of ancient presence, its marble quarries have employed hundreds of people and its spa were appreciated by the ancient Romans. Massa This article is issued from Wikivoyage . The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.