Luca Locatelli Captures Italy’s Luminous Marble Quarries
- Name
- Luca Locatelli
- Words
- Rosie Flanagan
Italian photographer Luca Locatelli traveled to the Apuan Alps, Italy’s most marble-rich region, to capture the majestic quarries that have been operating in the area since the days of ancient Rome.
From a distance, the mountains in this part of Northern Italy appear snow-capped—in reality, they are comprised of marble: a metamorphic form of limestone made from an interlocking mosaic of carbonate crystals. Shot for the New York Time’s T Magazine, Locatelli’s series illustrate a side of marble that we are rarely privy to—its beginnings. The marble quarries he has captured are oddly beautiful; grand in scale, luminously white, both natural and industrial. Utilizing drones, Locatelli has photographed the process of extraction of marble—from the mountains, to transport (by truck, by train, by ship), to workshop and to the final product.
All images © Luca Locatelli
