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The Apuan Alps
Between marble, mountain peaks and the sea
The Apuan Alps stand out at the very margins of the Lunigiana along the coastal line, which is between that area of Tuscany next to the coast and the whole inland, divided between mountains and the countryside. The white and geometrically carved Apuan Alps suggest interesting treks through ancient marble pathways (called lizze), caves, deep caverns, channels, hundred-meter-deep cliffs and spiked mountain peaks about 2000 meter high. The Via Vandelli, opened around the mid-700s, represents a landmark of particular historical, technical and tourist interest.
The vegetation varies between the Mediterranean Macchia (bush) to downy oak and black ironwood groves, not to mention the vast beech forests. Above the timberline, the impressive pastures are dominated by the paléo, a characteristic local grass. Vineyards and olive-groves prevail instead on the plains and the coastal hills.
Some of the best marbles in the whole world come from Carrara, in whose hollows Michelangelo, Gianbologna, Canova, Moore and many other great sculptors have worked. It is possible to visit a series of shops and laboratories, as well as the quarry of Collonata. This village is also famous for the production of lard, preserved in marble tubs; other places worth seeing are the quarry of Fantiscritti, whose name derives from the Roman bas-relief found inside the hollow; and the quarry of Ravaccione. In Fossola, not far away from Carrara, the small Museum of Marble illustrates the history of this precious rock, said to be as white as tears from heaven; as well as the extraction and carving techniques.
Food and wine: Colli of Luni Doc; Candia dei Colli Apuani Doc; Stockfish, Collonata's Lard; lamb meats from Zeri; the traditional cured meats of Biroldo and the Mondiola; the formentone, an ancient corn featuring eight rows of grains; the Neccio (chestnut) flour and a native variety of spelt, specialties of the Garfagnana.
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