Italian marble is marble quarried in Italy, a country whose stone has been prized by sculptors, architects and furniture makers since Roman times. The most famous source is Carrara in Tuscany, which yields the pure white statuary marble used by Michelangelo and countless later sculptors, as well as grey-veined varieties for building.
Other celebrated Italian marbles include Calacatta, a white marble with bold grey or golden veining from the Carrara area, the yellow Siena marble, the black and gold Portoro from Liguria, and a range of breccias and coloured stones. Italian marble was exported throughout Europe for chimneypieces, floors, columns, table tops and sculpture, and Grand Tour travellers brought back marble busts, urns and specimen tables inlaid with polished samples of many stones. Florentine pietra dura workshops used Italian and imported hardstones to create elaborate inlaid panels. In antiques, collectors look for good colour and figure, crisp carving, a mellow surface and well-matched veining. Stains, chips and old repairs are common, and marble should be cleaned only with gentle, non-acidic methods. A fine Italian marble chimneypiece or table top remains one of the most desirable features in a period interior.
