Avenza

Carrara
Carara

Comune

Comune di Carrara

The area around Carrara, seen from an aircraft flying at 10,000 metres. The town is at the top of the picture, nearest to the marble quarries which are the white markings on the mountains.

Coat of arms

Carrara

Location of Carrara in Italy

Coordinates: 44°04.75′N 10°06.00′E / 44.07917°N 10.10000°ECoordinates: 44°04.75′N 10°06.00′E / 44.07917°N 10.10000°E

Country

Italy

Region

Tuscany

Province / Metropolitan city

Massa and Carrara (MS)

Frazioni

Avenza, Bedizzano, Bergiola, Bonascola, Castelpoggio, Codena, Colonnata, Fontia, Fossola, Gragnana, Marina di Carrara, Miseglia, Nazzano, Noceto, Sorgnano, Torano

Government

• Mayor

Angelo Zubbani (PSI)

Area

• Total

71 km² (27 sq mi)

Elevation

100 m (300 ft)

Population (31 August 2015)

• Total

63,409

• Density

890/km² (2,300/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Carraresi

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Postal code

54033

Dialing code

0585

Patron saint

San Ceccardo

Saint day

June 16

Carrara [karˈraːra] (Emilian: Carara) is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, the administrative centre of the province of Massa and Carrara and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some 100 kilometres (62 mi) west-northwest of Florence.

Its motto is Fortitudo mea in rota (Latin: "My strength is in the wheel").

There were known settlements in the area as early as the 9th century BC, when the Apuan Ligures lived in the region. The current town originated from the borough built to house workers in the marble quarries created by the Romans after their conquest of Liguria in the early 2nd century BC. Carrara has been linked with the process of quarrying and carving marble since the Roman Age. Marble was exported from the nearby harbour of Luni at the mouth of river Magra.

In the early Middle Ages it was a Byzantine and then Lombard possession, and then, it was under bishops of Luni, turning itself into an city-state in the early 13th century; during the struggle between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Carrara usually belonged to the latter party. The Bishops acquired it again in 1230, their rule ending in 1313, when the city was given in succession to the Republics of Pisa, Lucca and Florence. Later it was acquired by Gian Galeazzo Visconti of Milan.

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Wikipedia