The Marmifera, full name , 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 r ...

used for the transport of

Carrara marble Carrara marble, or Luna marble (''marmor lunense'') 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 ...

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 manage their safet ...

of the municipal territory of

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

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

. 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.

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 () 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 . The name deri ...

(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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 Railway track ( and UIC terminology) or railroad track (), also known as permanent way () or "P way" ( and Indian English), is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers ( railroad ties in American ...

dismantled. Nowadays, apart from the Avenza FS station, the only area in which the railway is operating is the port of Carrara, 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 Industry (manufacturing), industrial past. This evidence, collectively referred to as industrial heritage, includes buildings, machinery, artifacts, si ...

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

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 Marina di Carrara, 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