The Apuan Alps are a unique environment in which it is possible to go in a few minutes from mountain peaks touching 2,000 metres to the beaches of Versilia or the crystal-clear waters of the Versilia. Thanks to its privileged position, on the extreme northern border of Tuscany but facing Liguria and with Emilia Romagna just a stone's throw away, the mountain range has always been a crossroads of peoples and cultures.

Since ancient times, with sweat and toil, the inhabitants of this territory have modelled it with care and sensitivity to bring the precious marble blocks from the belly of the mountains down into the valley. The Region of Tuscany describes the Apuan-Versiliese marble district as follows: “The Apuan Alps represent a landscape 'unicum', not only on a national but also on an international level, due to and for the protection of which, in 2011, they obtained recognition as a Unesco Geopark. The uniqueness of the Apuan context is not only evidenced by its significant natural, landscape and environmental value, but also by the millenary presence of its mining activities.” Here, the delicate relationship between nature and culture is continuously rethought, thanks to the continuous innovation of extraction processes and the dedication of those who work the marble.

The Calacatta family of Franchi Umberto Marmi expresses the aesthetic, symbolic and historical values of a material that has represented beauty and creativity in the world and in cultures for thousands of years. At the same time, it also reveals FUM’s commitment to sustainability and the environment and its firm will to enhance the territory and its tradition through virtuous actions.

Particularly interesting is the technique with which the company extracts the Calacatta Crestola marble, which comes from the Crestola quarry, located in the Apuan Alps basin: the blocks are extracted in tunnels, according to an innovative method that minimises the possibility of waste, and then 'undercut' using state-of-the-art technology. These procedures, which privilege the extraction of quality over quantity, make Crestola an absolutely nature-friendly material.

Crestola is a natural stone with a dense texture and intense colours: a new discovery in the mountains that shows itself in all its expressive strength and will earn the appreciation of an increasingly attentive and highly selective international market. Its nuances, ranging from beige to brown with beautiful warm rust-coloured tones, mingle in longitudinal streaks running along the slab; broader backgrounds of greys form the backdrop to this surprising play of earthy tones.

Calacatta Crestola is a material capable of telling the story of the unique landscape, human and cultural heritage represented by the Apuan Alps.