Marina di Carrara
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Marina di Carrara
Carrara, Italy
Photo(s) © 2002-2005,
Egidio Ferrighi
History/Info (of the region):
The province of Massa Carrara is comprised of the homonymous ancient
duchy and the sub-region Lunigiana. Bordered by the La Spezia, Parma,
Reggio Emilia and Lucca provinces, Massa Carrara also possesses a
coastal area banking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Due to its climate and
industrialization, this area is the most populated zone in the
territory. Apart from its Capital, Massa, the most important loci of
the province are Carrara - known widely for its plethora of marble
caves, Pontremoli, Fivizzano, and Aulla. Tourism is mostly centered
around the beach resort culture of the Marina di Massa and the Marina
di Carrara. However, Massa Carrara also boasts an artistic heritage of
museums, castles, archeological sites, rustic chapels, and majestic
natural surroundings.
Over the centuries, the roads of Massa Carrara have been well traveled
by a variety of distinct groups and peoples. Armies, merchants, and
pilgrims at different times pervaded the area, while workmen and
artists from Lucca, Genoa, Florence and even France crossed over into
the Tuscan province to enrich towns and villages with their presence
and their craftsmanship.
The province's principal importance today stems from its chief
location with regard to commercial trade and exchange. This
positioning enables central and northern Italy to advantageously use
its port as a supply source for raw materials and as an outlet for
exports.
The mountainous quarries of Massa Carrara have been a principal
source of marble ever since the days of the ancient Romans, and have
been visited accordingly "by everyone from Michelangelo to Henry
Moore." Carrara continues to be the largest producer and exporter of
marble in the world, and is responsible for shipping 1.5 million tons
of marble annually from its port in the Marina di Carrara. Additional
caves are sprinkled throughout the other communes of Massa, Fivizzano
and Montignoso, where various types of marble are extracted: "Statuario"
(an extremely white-colored marble), "Bardiglio" (a blue marble), "Paonazzo"
(a multicolored marble), "il Fior di Pesco" (a marble whose name
literally means "peachtree flower"), and "il Cipollino" (literally
meaning, "little onion").
Source:
http://www.italiancookingandliving.com/travel/destinations/massa.html Directions:
map of area
- Take A12 into Carrara.
- Take the Svincolo Carrara exit. At the end of the ramp take a right
onto Viale Galileo Galilei
- At the end of the road take a left onto Viale Cristoforo Colombo.
- This will take you to Marina di Carrara where you should see the
lighthouse along the shore.
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