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# 85 NOVEMBER 21 , 2016
the present day, where the
beautiful statuary, the celebrated White “P” (veinless white marble), is the
substance for the sculptures and works of the major
artists today.
The workshops, which are
open throughout the area,
are frequently visited by
students and teachers of
sculpture alike coming
from all over the world,
which serves as confirma- statuary marble.
tion of a modern and very
vibrant prestige.
Foreign
businessmen
who have dealings here
At the behest of Pope Leo and who attend studies,
X, the great renaissance workshops and businessculptor
Michelangelo ses dealing in the stone
spent three years in the area cannot but marvel at
Apuan Alps, building a the great and formidable
road that extended as far landscape of the quarries,
as the sea and working to recognising the eminence
open the quarries of Tram- of a region that is not just
biserra and La Cappella.
the fruit of historical memory.
The Renaissance was to
fulfil the miracle that the The production phases
Medici Pope had always The initial stage of the
dreamed of for the Apuan activities is carried out
land, with the opening early on and involes exand cultivation of quar- tracting local marble with
ries of white marble, vei- the use of advanced techned marble, bardiglio and nology. Later on the other
polychrome breccia rock, production activities take
and the extension of Mi- place.
chelangelo's road to the
heart of the mountain, The block is cut in many
from which Giambologna ways: mainly in slabs or
extracted the first block of blocks that are then sha-
# 85 November 21 2016
control functions which
were once carried out by
man, who has in turn been
allocated a different role.
Even the professional requirements for performing certain internal cycle
tasks has gradually changed, with a need for more
specific technical skills in
the stone industry.
ped, polished and finished in different shapes
and sizes. The recent introduction of new computerised machines have led
to new forms and faster
production with a much
greater degree of accuracy.
Alongside the most qualified positions, there are
also the more traditional
positions which are still
important, and also technical, because they teach
your to learn about the
material and to therefore
apply the automated pro- The territory
The Apuan Alps are known
cess better.
throughout the world for
In addition, there is also an their famous marble quarimportant part in certain ries. Here precious white
manufacturing niches of marble is extracted and
excellence. It is these arti- then skilfully worked befosan productions that allow re being sent all over the
the area to retain its mar- world. There are so many
ket leadership and allow it deposits that produce the
to anchor the sector to lo- blocks of stone in their
cal expertise, which is the rich variety of colours and
key creative and distincti- grain: Calacatta, Arabeve asset. In artisan and ar- scato, Bardiglio, Cardotistic workshops, sculptu- so, Brecce and Cippolino
res, funerary pieces, street have defined the history
furniture, indoor furnishin- of large companies and
gs, beautiful mosaics and are used for many varied
other objects take shape. applications.
The laser cutting waterjet
machines allow you obtain
precise inlays and complex shapes with relative
ease. The same applies
for the artificial ageing techniques of the products,
that replicate the effects of
time and can produce an
antique artefact that is highly valued.
The role of automation
and electronics has constitued the most profound
change in the stone processing cycle, giving machines certain challenging
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