THE MARBLE PROJECT
PITTI UOMO
PART III
The Quarry
For the execution of Michele Monfroni’s pieces on display at the Massimo Dutti store in Florence coinciding with the Salon Pitti Uomo, marble from the quarry of Carrara, by FF Marble, a company with more than 50 years of history, has been used.
PART. 3
The Quarry
How was FF Marble Group founded? How long ago?
FF was born fifty years ago, more precisely in 1973 when the ability of a man to look beyond gave shape to a reality that still today rests on the inestimable value of sharing. Started as transporters of marble from the quarries to the various warehouses, today FF Marble is a complete reality that follows the customer from the sale to the final project.
How did you learn about marble? Who taught you?
Since I was a child I have listened to stories of the quarry a days and all this has always aroused great fascination and curiosity. Assuming that in our work every day there is always something new to learn, I owe my teaching to my mother Barbara and Nicola who transmitted to me the values to continue this profession.
What has been your trajectory in the company? What is your current role?
In the Company I covered from the beginning all the phases that made me understand the production process in order to have a 360-degree view of our work. Now I take care of following the customer in the choice of material and accompany him in all stages of processing.
“Today FF Marble is a complete reality that follows the customer from the sale to the final Project.”
What does it mean to you to work in a family business? What do you think is the key for it to last in time?
Working in the family business for me is a source of pride but above all the responsibility to keep alive those values of honesty and sharing that they have transmitted to me. I don’t know if there is a key, but my grandfather used to tell me: “The important thing is that you are a good person”. I fully share.
What can you tell us about the Carrara quarries? Which other quarries would you make special mention of?
The Carrara Quarries open along the sides of the Apuan Alps, a fascinating complex declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015. A unique territory with fascinating landscapes and dominated by the mountain profiles of the marble basins. A special quarry for me, who I have lived since I was a child, is the quarry located on Mount Sagro, which belonged to our family for decades.
Why do you think marble is the most suitable material for sculpture?
Marble has always been used both in construction and in furniture. Marble walls, vases, centerpieces and above all sculptures! Marble is in fact the most used material in sculpture and many artists including Michelangelo, Donatello, Bernini and Canova have chosen it for their most important works. It represents a relatively soft material and therefore simple to work. Among the various types of marble, the most appreciated in sculpture are the white ones, purer and more resistant. Colored marble, on the other hand, is ideal for decorations thanks to the various shades of veins.
