Carrara the town of Quarries - CVB Versilia Costa Apuana

COLONNATA AND ITS QUARRIES…
Colonnata (532 m above sea level ) is an ancient village, and a frazione in the comune of Carrara. It is situated in
the Apuan Alps, and is known worldwide for the pork fat delicacy Lardo di Colonnata, and for its marble quarries.
Colonnata is located in the Apuan Alps (mounts Maggiore, Spallone and Sagro), and is accessible by the road that
passes through the villages of Vezzala and Bedizzano. The village is surrounded by quarries in an area known as
"Gioia Calagio", which includes the Gioia Pit, which produces the arabescato and bardiglio varieties of veined marble.
The quarry was also used in ancient times, as evidenced by the finds of coins, inscriptions engraved directly on the
rock, and a relief of the Roman tutelary deity Silvanus. The largest Roman quarrying site yet discovered was one
kilometre south at Fossacava. Colonnata's history dates back to its settlement, around 40 BC. It was built for the
housing of slaves used in quarrying marble after Rome decided to replace expensive imported Greek marble with local
(Luni) marble.The name of the settlement is believed derived from the Latin word columna, indicating the place
where columns of marble were extracted to be sent to Rome, but the origin of the name could also be the Latin collis
("hill") or columen ( "top"). The quarries may also have been used by the Ligurian Apuani tribe, who were perhaps
also used later as quarrying experts. Evidence of mining activity dating back to the 6th century BC has been found at
"Fossa Carbonera", Fantiscritti. Based on a stone found in 1810 bearing the names of the consuls of the years 16 - 22
AD, it appears that the settlement was run by settlers and a magistrate, all of servile origin, who oversaw the work.
Additional records date back only to the 13th century, while the church of the village is believed to date back to the
12th century. It's possible, however, that in the Middle Ages Colonnata was used as a defensive stronghold for those
who controlled these areas after the Roman Empire (the Byzantines, the Goths and Lombards).