Pietrasanta - Marble workshop.

Our first visit today was a marble workshop.  I finally got to see how all those marble statues get made.  It all begins with a block.  Some blocks are more valuable than others.  I gather the upper block is more valuable, because it is whiter.

Then a smaller model (a maquette) is made, then a full-size plaster cast.  The cast forms the basis for carving the marble. In the pic below, the cast is on the left. Now you know what "set in stone" means.

Measurements are transferred.

There is  tool for everything.  Chisels ain't chisels.

Then it all needs to be polished.  Religious statues get polished...

and architectural things get "highly" polished.

This is the master craftsman.  I don't know what the newspaper hat is all about, but pics on the internet also have this.  And they don't wear masks.  Marble is not toxic.

They take commissions.  This was one of them.

He commented that this one was particularly challenging.

And a detail.  It was translucent and just beautiful.

And they do use machines in the early stages.

An interesting snippet is that our visit was to Pietrasanta and this is their marble.  Most of us have heard of Carrara marble.  Michelangelo used carrara, and spoke less favorably about marble from Pietrasanta, but there is a rumour he was getting kickbacks from Carrara.  No ICAC in those days!