Carrara

Carrara is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, located on the coast of the Ligurian Sea near the Apuan Alps. It belongs to the province of Massa-Carrara. The city is best known for its marble, specifically Carrara marble, a high-quality white or blue-grey stone quarried in the surrounding hills. The marble has been mined since ancient times and has been used by sculptors such as Michelangelo and in numerous architectural projects worldwide.

Today, the extensive marble quarries in the Apuan Alps remain a defining feature of the landscape and economy, with extraction and processing centered around the city and its surrounding municipalities. The port of Marina di Carrara on the Ligurian Sea serves as a major export hub for marble and related materials.

The local economy is heavily based on quarrying and processing of marble, complemented by tourism, fishing on the coast, and services. The city is home to Carrarese Calcio, a professional football club that competes in the Italian football league system.

Carrara also preserves a historic town center with traditional streets and civic buildings. Museums and cultural sites related to marble, including the Marble Museum, highlight the long relationship between the city and its quarrying heritage. The city remains closely identified with its quarrying industry while maintaining coastal and cultural amenities for residents and visitors.