A Unique Carrara Attraction is the Character of Its People
Explore the Wonderful Historic Center of Carrara with Added Insight
The Tuscan city of Carrara, and in particular the old town, is one of our favorite places in Italy. Many tourists visit only the famous Carrara marble quarries, and they are indeed worth visiting, but the town itself is unique and worth your attention. There are numerous historic and artistic attractions - like the famous Duomo, but another good reason to visit is the sense of place that Carrara radiates. Undefinable, indescribable, yet unmistakable, there's a feeling that this place has identity and this place has character and that the inhabitants know it, love it, and are proud of it.
Here are three mini-articles describing
aspects of Carrara, and some photos we like. Some pictures illustrate the words, most do not. Can you really not visit a
place with a specialty called calda-calda*?
City of Anarchy
Carrara is the international capital of
anarchy. We are not talking about masked, disaffected hotheads
breaking windows, but rather anarchism as a political philosophy
which 'seeks stateless societies based on non-hierarchical voluntary
associations'. The International of Anarchist Federations is based
here, and you can visit the anarchist Circolo Gogliardo Fiaschi
bookstore on Via Giuseppe Ulivi. Nearby, there's the restaurant La
Capineria where they sometime offer local Carrara specialties
'Sulle ali dell'anarchia' (On the wings of anarchy).
The baroque Palazzo dei Conti del Medico. Piazza Alberico. 18th Century. |
Column capitol with pillow. Piazza delle Erbe, Carrara. |
Anarchism became part of the stoneworker culture in the latter half of the 19th century. It was a natural affinity for people whose existence depended on the caprice of rocks and padroni, and whose ancestors included quarrymen slaves of the Romans. Their politics and their desire for betterment often led to confrontation with the quarry owners and the government, sometimes violent confrontation. In 1894, the 'Lunigiana Revolt' occurred here as anarchistic quarry workers went on strike and besieged police barracks in support of the Sicilian Leagues - a peasant rights movement (Fasci Siciliani). The uprising was violently surpressed by the state and 11 protesters killed. Read a fascinating, less-than-objective NY Times dispatch about the 1894 Lunigiana Revolt.
Anarchists were leaders in organizing the stoneworkers into unions. This led to improved working conditions such as the 6 1/2 hour day for quarrymen beginning in 1911. The anarchist Ugo Del Papa founded a Camera del Lavoro to coordinate and advance unions in 1904 and was influential in the successful strike of 1913. Even more influencial was Alberto Meschi, one of the beloved figures in the history of Italian anarchy. There is an interesting large monument dedicated to him in the lovely park of Piazza Gramsci (Piazza d'Armi) by the sculptore Ezio Nelli (1965).
City of Michelangelo
Old Carrara. Marble is used even in ordinary buildings. |
After reading Eric Scigliano's book Michelangelo's Mountain (click for his website - there's also an Amazon ad below to purchase) we can not only appreciate the sculptures more, but marvel that they exist at all. Mr.Scigliano's book describes in detail not only Michelangelo's involvement with Carrara, but the artist's life and career - masterpiece by masterpiece, as well as the milieu in which he lived. He describes nearly every aspect of the marble industry, both ancient and modern, and gives the reader a real appreciation of Michelangelo's determination to realize his vision no matter the obstacle.
Michelangelo lived and worked for months in this building at the corner of Via Santa Maria and Piazza del Duomo. |
Once the possibility of obtaining a block of a certain marble was settled, he had to babysit the quarrying of the marble. Since the work was carried out with hand tools, a good deal of waiting was involved. Once quarried, Michelangelo would rough out the sculpture, both to reduce the weight for transport and to ascertain that there were no hidden faults such discolored veins, mineral inclusions, or cracks. If there were, the process began again.
There is little physical evidence of Michelangelo Buonarroti's residence in Carrara, but he did leave his initials in a fascinating place. In the 1st century AD, a Roman quarry slave carved an aedicula - a shrine - in bas relief on a wall overlooking the Fantiscritti quarry. It consisted of three small figures, Hercules, Jupiter, and Bacchus. It was an object of prayer by workers for protection and good fortune, and it survived for centuries. There Michelangelo carved his characteristic 'MB', and began a graffiti tradition. Eventually Bernini, Canova, Giambologna, and scores of other sculptors added their names. Ultimately it gave the quarry its name: fanti, Carrarese dialect for infanti - the three small figures - and scritti for writing.
A copy of the aedicula of Fantiscritti quarry. |
City of Marble Trucks
In the industrial districts of Carrara,
there are acres of stone storage yards filled with huge blocks of the
characteristic white marble of Carrara, as well as many different
stone blocks from around the world. These yards are primarily
centered along the Via Aurelia near the autostrada and the quarries
are located high above central Carrara. Yet, as you drive around
downtown Carrara, you will not see any trucks carrying marble blocks.
Today, the marble travels on the Strada dei Marmi di Carrara, a road designated exclusively for heavy truck traffic (in business hours) opened in April, 2012. It runs south of Carrara proper between the lower quarry area at Miseglia and the Via Aurelia (SS1), 5.5 kilometers away. It took 9 years to construct since it was necessary to remove a million cubic meters of earth and rock and construct 4.5 kilometers of roadway through 8 new tunnels. The Strada cost 120 million Euro, shared between regional and town government and the marble producers. Since the road is downhill for loaded vehicles, both with blocks and marble rubble, the trucks are electronically monitored to insure the 50kmph limit is observed.
Copyright 2013 www.apathtolunch.com. All Rights Reserved. This article appeared on www.apathtolunch.com and has not been authorized elsewhere.
More Info
Carrara doesn't promote itself very well, so the more you read before you go, the better. In the old part of town there are descriptive plaques in Italian and English at the notable sites which are Via Santa Maria, Piazza del Duomo, Piazza delle Erbe, Via Ghibellina, Piazza Alberica, Teatro degli Animosi, Via Loris Giogi, Via del Plebiscito, Piazza Gramsci, and the Accademia di Belle Arti.
* Calda-calda is a local name for the Ligurian specialty of farinata which the dour might describe as an unleavened pancake of chickpea flour. In old Carrara, go to Pizzeria Tognozzi at Via Santa Maria, 12, where they also offer calda-calda as a sandwich inside the Ligurian specialty of focaccia....and you thought you were in Tuscany! The piece of foccacia is split horizontally and stuffed with the farinata. Once we thought this was called a “cinque e cinque“, but we were sharply corrected: "No. That's the name in Livorno!".
The market day in Carrara is Monday, and the streets are more active and there's even more to look at.
Written by Martha
An outdoor cafe, Piazza Alberica. Carrara hosts an International Biennial of Sculpture and numerous open air sculpture events. |
* Calda-calda is a local name for the Ligurian specialty of farinata which the dour might describe as an unleavened pancake of chickpea flour. In old Carrara, go to Pizzeria Tognozzi at Via Santa Maria, 12, where they also offer calda-calda as a sandwich inside the Ligurian specialty of focaccia....and you thought you were in Tuscany! The piece of foccacia is split horizontally and stuffed with the farinata. Once we thought this was called a “cinque e cinque“, but we were sharply corrected: "No. That's the name in Livorno!".
The market day in Carrara is Monday, and the streets are more active and there's even more to look at.
Written by Martha