5 Best Sights in Tuscany, Italy

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Carrara became a hotbed for anarchism, and, during World War II, it fiercely resisted the Nazis. The town is still lively thanks to its art institute: the Accademia di Belle Arti, founded by Maria Teresa Cybo Malaspina d'Este in 1769, draws studio art students from all over Italy. This may explain why there's a good number of bars and cafés in many of the town's squares.

Work began on the Duomo in the 11th century and continued into the 14th. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Andrew, is the first church of the Middle Ages constructed entirely of marble. Most of it comes from the area (the white, light blue-gray, black, and red). The tremendous facade is a fascinating blend of Pisan Romanesque and Gothic influences. Note the human figures and animals on Corinthian capitals.

The area around Carrara has a lot of still-active quarries—well over 100 at last count. Most of them are not open to the public for safety reasons. However, it is possible to tour specific marble caves. The Carrara tourism office, 7 km (4½ miles) away in Marina di Massa, has details about which areas you can visit.

Carrara's history as a marble-producing center is well documented in the Museo del Marmo, beginning with early works from the 2nd century. Exhibits detail the working of marble, from quarrying and transporting it to sculpting it.

The lovely baroque church of San Francesco is a study in understated elegance. It dates from the 1620s to 1660s, and, even though it was built during the peak years of the baroque, the only excess can be found in the twisting marble columns embellishing the altars.