Two Thousand Years of History Written on Marble

During the year 2021 the Apuan Alps UNESCO Global Geopark inaugurated the "Lapidarium Apuanum" (from the Latin lapidarium which means "concerning inscriptions on stones" and apuanum "of the Apuan Alps"). It includes a small archaeological collection of blocks and semi-finished products made of the worldwide renowned marbles from the Apuan Alps. This collection displays unique finds that have been studied to offer a historical-archaeological insight into the evolution of techniques and organization of quarrying, covering a time span of 2000 years, from the Roman age to the present day. The marble "monuments" of the "Lapidarium Apuanum" are exhibited in the open spaces outside the Geopark Visitor Center of Equi Terme, which also houses the ApuanGeoLab, the interactive path of local and global Earth Sciences.