THE MARBLES OF ITALY. 14.9 



2. Bardigli. 



3. Red marbles of a unifoimor clouded tint. 



4. Yellow and violet marbles (broccatelli). 



5. Reddish marbles {ceciato unito') or variously veined, which are 

 specially obtained from the alberese. 



6. Certain varieties of a greenish colour {verdognolo). 



7. Among the coloured marbles are also included certain breccias, in 

 which the uniform tint of the base is broken by small fragments, or 

 pebbles of limestone of different colours, which were introduced into the 

 mass during the formation of the sedimentary deposit. 



Black Marbles. — The finest black marbles with which we are at 

 present acquainted in Italy are those of Caserta Vecchia (Terra di Lavoro) 

 the Pisan mountains, Carrara and Spezia, in the metalliferous chain, and 

 that of the province of Brescia. 



The analogy existing between the black marbles of the two latter 

 localities is probably due to an important geological fact. They are for 

 the most part streaked with small white sparry veins, which, by reason 

 of their constitution, traverse the marble in regular lines like small lodes. 

 These white veins are often replaced by smaller yellow ones, as in the 

 celebrated marble of Portoro or Portovenere, very fine specimens of 

 which are to be found in the collection from Spezia. The most beautiful 

 variety is that in which interlacing veins of a golden yellow colour are 

 set into a uniform black ground. 



It must be remarked that the grain of this marble is such that it will 

 not keep its polish without extreme care. 



Bardigli. — The numerous series of the bardigli comes next in order; 

 it contains many very precious marbles, the rarest of which is the tur- 

 quoise blue variety (bardiglio turcJiino unito) ; the finest specimens are 

 from Monte della Cappella, near Seravezza, some of which are exhibited 

 by Messrs. Garfagnini, Brothers. 



The veined bardiglio (bardiglio venato) is due to an incipient dis- 

 colouration of the black marble, which changes the primitive colour 

 into a vague tint, which is much sought after. If the discolouration is 

 only partially extended through the mass, the product is known as 

 flowered bardiglio (bardiglio jzorito) ; when it is carried to its extreme 

 limit we obtain white marble, which, when seen in places or in selected 

 specimens, show the transition from its original to its present condition. 

 The flowered bardiglio is one of the richest marbles that we possess. 

 The finest specimens are obtained entirely from the quarries to the 

 eastward of Seravezza. 



Other equally precious varieties are the veined bardigli of Valdieri, 

 in Piedmont, those of Recoaro, Oliero, and Arsiero, in the province of 

 Venice, as well as those of Campiglia, Monte Rombolo, and the island of 

 Elba, in Tuscany, which furnish us Avith a new example of marbles of 

 lamellar structure. 



Red Marbles. — The ammonite limestone, which forms a well- 



