After a two hour drive from Florence, we arrived in Carrara, Italy. Arriving here, it struck me how large the mines were. There are around 100 quarries still active today, yet we only saw one and it was breathtaking. This quarry stretched across the side of the mountain and upon arrival I expected it to smell earthy in the mine due to the various forests still around, but I was instead hit in the face with a more foul smell. The smell was the oil and overall debris from the machinery and it made me reflect on how the mining operation could be harming the environment.
Seeing the quarry in person reinforced my thought that these Renaissance sculptors and architects cared deeply about their work enough that they wanted it to last forever. We learned about the amount of labor that went into removing and transporting a block of marble. The artists could have chosen another stone or weaker material, but marble demonstrates the amount dedication these people put into their work to choose such a beautiful canvas that is bound to last thousands of years.
Swanson School of Engineering 