The Marmifera, full name it, Ferrovia Marmifera Privata di Carrara, italic=no, lit=private marble railway of Carrara, was an Italian

industrial railway An industrial railway is a type of railway (usually private) that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics, or military site. In regions of the world influenced by British ra ...

used for the transport of

Carrara marble Carrara marble, Luna marble to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara in the province of Massa ...

from the

quarries A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their environ ...

of the municipal territory of

Carrara Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some Boxing the compass, west-northwest o ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

. The route extended from the hillside village of

Colonnata Colonnata is an Italian ancient village and a hamlet (''frazione'') of the ''comune'' of Carrara, (Province of Massa-Carrara, Massa-Carrara, Tuscany). It is situated in the Apuan Alps, and is known worldwide for the pork fat delicacy Lardo di Colo ...

to the port of

Marina di Carrara A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or ...

History

The railway, projected in 1866, was inaugurated in 1876 and was connected to the pre-existent Avenza-Carrara railway (1866),Avenza-Carrara railway on ferrovieabbandonate.it (site about abandoned railways)
/ref> linking the main station of Carrara Avenza to Carrara San Martino, in city centre. A subsequent expansion to the quarries below the

Apuan Alps The Apuan Alps ( it, Alpi Apuane) are a mountain range in northern Tuscany, Italy. They are included between the valleys of the Serchio and Magra rivers, and, to the northwest, the Garfagnana and Lunigiana, with a total length of approximately . ...

(Gioia, Ravaccione-Polvaccio and

) was proposed in 1885. Work began in 1887 and the new branch was inaugurated on 15 May 1890. The line was owned by the FMC (Società Ferrovia Marmifera Privata di Carrara) and Even if its bridges were damaged by bombings and sabotages during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the line was practically in continuous operation from 1876 to 1964, when it was closed due to competition from road traffic. In 1969 it was closed also the passenger route Avenza-Carrara and the

rail tracks A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleepers, ...

dismantled. Nowadays, apart Avenza FS station, the only area in which the railway is operating is the

port of Carrara A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

, connected to the Pisa-La Spezia-Genoa line with a pair of industrial lines. It is part of a route of

industrial archaeology Industrial archaeology (IA) is the systematic study of material evidence associated with the industrial past. This evidence, collectively referred to as industrial heritage, includes buildings, machinery, artifacts, sites, infrastructure, docu ...

and, since 2003 its stations, quarries and bridges over the

Vara Vara or VARA may refer to: Geography *Vara (river), in Liguria, Italy *Vara Parish, former municipality in Tartu County, Estonia * Vara, Estonia, village in Peipsiääre Parish, Tartu County, Estonia *Vara Municipality, municipality in western Swe ...

, have been included in the Archaeological Park of the

.List of possible heritage sites in the Apuan Alps National Park (see page 3, section 7)
/ref>

Route

The railway line started in the hill village of

and, following a tortuous path, connects some hill hamlets of Carrara, as

Miseglia Miseglia is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Carrara, province of Massa-Carrara. At the time of the 2011 census its population amounted to 449. Miseglia is about 2 km from Carrara and 10 k ...

and Torano, and several quarries, through some branches. Subsequently the railway runs through the city of Carrara and, from San Martino to Avenza station follows a path almost parallel to that of the passenger line. From Avenza FS station to the port, in

, the line follows a straight parallel to that of the former tramway, with a small branch to the station of Covetta. The only stations passenger service was the one from Avenza to San Martino stations."General Timetable of Italian Railways", July 1933. Éditions du Cabri, 1984. .

References

External links

*{{in lang, it}
Marmifera di Carrara websiteHunting for old rail: Ferrovia Marmifera di Carrara
Railway lines in Tuscany Marble Railway Rail freight transport in Italy Railway lines opened in 1876 Railway lines closed in 1964 Industrial archaeological sites Industrial railways Mining in Italy Marble

History

Route

See also

References

External links