Carerra

We spent Saturday night back at Camp Darby.  Got up in the morning and went for a little walk.  We ate our snack food we brought along for breakfast.  While driving between La Spezia and Pisa there were many, many yards along the Autostrada that were full of giant blocks of marble.  This was Carerra Marble.  The best marble in the world.  I understand that is what Leonardo Di Vinci said about it.  We decided to turn aside and see the area. 

Wow!  we drove up into the mountains and found an amazing place.  We saw a sculpture school and watched a man carving some marble, we saw lamps made of thin marble, stunning sculptures of every color and shape. 

When we stopped to take some pictures on the mountainside in a small village, an elderly gentleman came up to us and asked about where we were from.  When we  said we were Americans, he had to shake all our hands and tell us he loved Americans even if some Italians today do not.  He said that he was in a German prison camp in 1945 and the Americans liberated him and literally saved his life.  He told us he holds all Americans in high esteem.  It was so touching.  We were honored to know him.  It was a lovely event for all of us.

The street name is - Those whom died at work. No doubt dedicated to all those who died working in the marble quarries.

There were quarries on the right side, on the left side, up the mountain down the mountain.  They seemed to be everywhere.

We stopped at this one dead end to look at another quarry and then when we turned around we saw this village on the other side of the valley.  We decided to follow the switch back road up to the village.

After driving up this narrow road for about 3 miles we came to the village, drove between two buildings and we were in the town square.  I parked in the only open spot, walked across the square and the bell tower began to ring.  I turned around and saw the mountain beyond the tower.  WOW!

There were beautiful views everywhere.

 

 

The name of the town is Colonnata

And the pig is their symbol.

 

We then began to wander around the town on foot. There are no other roads just paths around the town to go to the houses and shops. Around every corner was something interesting.

Here you can see the switch back we were driving on to get to the village.

 

Here is the courtyard of their church.  With a modern marble sculpture of Christ. And yes that is a peacock up on the roof.

There were several shops that sold lard and pork fat products,  Then I came around this corner and saw the queen of all the shops. Pig fat and more pig fat.

Yes more doors.

 

 

 

After exploring the town we loaded up and started down the mountain.  The town in this shot is the one where we talked to the old man.  And we are headed down the steep side of the valley.

There were more quarries and tunnels to go through.  We stopped here to take some more pictures and a car that was following us drove past and then stopped at the next tunnel.  It looked real daunting.  It was very narrow, dark, wet, and a rough road.  It was not closed off and there was a 10 km/hr speed sign so we went ahead.  After several hundred yards it was very blank and no light at all ahead.  It appeared that we were coming up to a bulkhead where it was blocked off.  But then it began to get lighter and we came out the other side of the mountain. 


This is  the road we drove on.  You can see where we came out of the mountain and immediately had to cross this ancient bridge.  In fact there were two other bridges like this where several roads came together.

 We were a little lost and stopped to ask directions.  Peggy went to talk to this shop lady about the three roads and came back telling us of her conversation:  "I asked where the first road led, she said Carerra, I asked where the second road went, and she said Carerra, and when I asked where the third road led, she replied, Carerra.  I guess instead of all roads lead to Rome, they actually all lead to Carerra! "

We followed one of the three roads that we saw a car coming up on and sure enough we got back to Carerra. 

Eventually we headed home to Milano for us and the Keeffers had another four hours to Pordenone where they are living.  They are here as Military Relations missionaries.  We have another couple based at Aviano (a military base) and our housing hunting couple are retired military as well.  Our housing finders are wonderful.  Sister Burger is a native Italian who married a military man (Elder Burger) and has lived in America for many years.  She is great at finding, organizing, furnishing, and setting up our many new apartments.  They travel a lot around the mission and do wonders.  We are enjoying meeting all the missionaries and senior couples.  They are great people.