i899 H. WINWOOD— CARRARA QUARRIES 63 



A Steep ascent on the opposite side took us to Cava di 

 Bctooli^ whence comes the Maruio statuario. Resting 

 on a huge block of ordinary statuary marble, *" we were 

 content to feast our eyes upon the fine view, to be told 

 that the best was in a quarry still higher up, and to learn 

 from the description that it was noted for its translucency 

 when first excavated, losing that character when exposed 

 to the air for some time. Hence it is more suitable for 

 indoor work and the artist's studio. It also possesses a 

 certain elasticity, for when sawn into thin slabs and placed 

 against a wall, a slight curvature is plainly perceptible. 



Descending the valley to Torano, we passed a section 

 showing the " Dove Marble " in situ, called Bardiglio 

 niarmo,'^ blue in colour, and generally found at the base 

 or on the lower slopes of the hills. Having done as much 

 as we could in the Piastra valley, we retraced our steps to 

 Carrara. 



The next day, after an early start, we were landed at 

 the small station of Miseglia, and thence backed to 

 Torano and up a steep incline to Tornone, 820 feet above 

 Carrara. Our object was to examine the quarries to the 

 south-east on the opposite side to those seen the preced- 

 ing day, and situated in the Canal Grande\ and Canal 

 Colonata, two valleys leading down to the Bedizzano 

 valley. The deep valley called Canal Grande has its 

 origin in Monte Sagro (1749 m.). 



A short distance from Cava dei Ravaccione, and on the 

 right hand, is the celebrated Cava dei Fantiscritti, or 

 " quarry of the soldiers," so called from certain figures 



* The statuary marble is the most highly crystallised, and difficult to get without 

 flaws. 



+ Bardiglio unito, quite plain ; Bardiglio scuro, dark ; Bardiglio fiorilo, blue 

 ■with black veins. The " Lion " and the " River," of the Vatican (temp. Antoninus) were 

 sculptured in Serravezzan Bardiglio. 



X Canale, a narrow valley. 



