Art from Carrara Marble Quarries Michelangelo's philosophy of artistic creation motivated him to use the best marble in the world for his sculptures. He believed that quarries in Carrara, Italy—located in the northwest corner of Tuscany—fit that description. In 1501, when the famous artist was just 26 years old, Michelangelo began to work with a block of Carrara marble which other artists had discarded. From it he created the David: With the possible exception of marble from his own quarry in Pietrasanta, Michelangelo most favored Carrara marble. He was not alone in his admiration. Leonardo da Vinci invented a marble-cutting machine for the quarry, and Carrara marble is said to adorn the Pantheon and Trajan’s Column in Rome. He also sculpted the Pietá (image by Stanislav Traykov, License CC BY-SA 3.0), the Moses (image by Prasenberg via CC BY 2.0) and other masterworks like the Madonna of Bruges (image by Elke Wetzig via CC BY- SA 3.0) from Carrara marble. The Nazis stole the Madonna of Bruges during World War II. When palace-builders wanted to use the best marble they could find, the quarries at Carrara were also high on their list. The Livadia Palace at Yalta, in the Crimea, is just one example of such a marble-incorporating structure. It was a favorite of the Russian imperial family (and was also used for the Yalta Conference during World War II). This image depicts those world-famous Carrara-marble quarries as seen from an airplane flying at 35,000 feet. Although it looks like the mountains are snow-capped, what we are really seeing are the white-marble quarries. What makes this marble so special? NASA (whose Earth Observatory Project features stellar photos of Carrara and the surrounding region) tells us more about it: The Carrara quarries have been prized since the days of the Roman Empire, but the geologic processes that developed these rocks dwarf human timescales. Marble’s origins actually lie in marine organisms that leave behind their calcite-rich shells when they die. As water bodies evaporate, these deposited remains form limestone. If the limestone gets buried under multi-ton layers of rock, the intense pressure and heat cause it to metamorphose into marble. Not all marbles turn out the same. Marble formed from the purest limestone is the white marble characteristic of Carrara. Impurities such as clay or iron oxide give other marbles darker colors. Click on the image for a wonderful view. Credits: Photo, described above, taken by Adrian Pingstone in June of 2007. Online, courtesy Wikimedia Commons. PD See Alignments to State and Common Core standards for this story online at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/AcademicAlignment/Art-from-Carrara-Marble-Quarries See Learning Tasks for this story online at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/AcademicActivities/Art-from-Carrara-Marble-Quarries Questions 2 Ponder What Makes Marble from an Italian Quarry so Special? A marble quarry, in Italy, is so special that - for centuries - its raw materials have been transformed into stunning works of art by the world’s most-famous sculptors. Before you read this story, were you aware that sculptors who created world-famous works of art obtained their marble blocks from the Carrara quarries? What makes this marble so special? When tourists view Michaelangelo's sculptured masterpieces, is it important for them to know where the marble originated? Why, or why not? Carving marble blocks from the side of Carrara's mountains causes a disruption to the environment. Do you think that is acceptable? Why, or why not? Of the featured photos, in this story, which is your favorite Michaelangelo sculpture? Explain your answer. Media Stream Moses by Michaelangelo View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/ Madonna of Bruges View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/ Pieta by Michaelangelo View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/ Art from Carrara Marble Quarries View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/.