Step into the World of ‘007 Quantum of Solace’ on the Carrara Marble Route

The Carrara Marble Route, located near Carrara in northern Tuscany, takes you through the marble mountains, tunnels, a village built for marble diggers, and various archaeological sites. Along the route, you can explore the marble quarries and drive along the winding roads that lead to them. These quarries gained international fame when featured in the film 007 Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig and directed by Marc Forster. Some of the film’s most memorable scenes, including a thrilling car chase with the iconic Aston Martin, were shot here.

Marble tours are very popular in the region, such as the Carrara Marble Quarries tour. We noticed several tour groups during our drive along the route.

Since we decided to visit the area on a whim during our 9-day summer trip to Liguria and Tuscany, it was too late to book a tour on-site. Instead, we chose to explore the Carrara Marble Route by ourselves.

• Viewpoint of the Marble Mountains
• Panorama Viewpoint at La Piana
• Remains of the Roman Quarry
• Colonnata: A Village Built for Marble Diggers
• Vara Bridges and Tunnels
• Open-Air Exhibition of Tools and Machines

Viewpoint of the Marble Mountains

We began our drive from Carrara’s Old Town and took the Via Codena. This road leads to the Colonnata Valley. After about 2,500 metres, we entered the small village of Codena. As we left the village, we were treated to a stunning view of the marble mountains.

Panorama viewpoint at La Piana

As we drove further towards the village of Colonnata, we passed through Bedizzano. About 1 km later, we reached a panoramic viewpoint called La Piana.

Not far from there, we found a marble souvenir shop offering a range of beautiful products, such as chopping boards and chess sets. I couldn’t resist the stunning marble items and ended up buying a blue marble bracelet for 8 euros. The shop owner confirmed that the blue colour was natural.

Remains of the Roman Quarry

Continuing along the same route for another 1,500 metres, we came across a large marble block marking the direction to an archaeological site. According to the information provided, marble extraction likely began even before Roman times. By the 5th century B.C., marble was already being used for monuments, buildings, and artwork.

The site illustrates how the Romans used simple tools to extract marble. They marked the marble blocks with “Marchi di cava” (quarry marks) to document the extraction activities, such as ownership, the quarry’s origin, and the foreman in charge. We could still see these markings on several semi-finished marble blocks.

We then returned to the main road where the souvenir shop was. After following the road signs for Colonnata, we reached the small village in about 10 minutes.

Colonnata, a village built for the marble diggers

Colonnata is a hamlet of Carrara and was the perfect stop on our Carrara marble route. It’s likely the oldest settlement in the area from Roman times.

The village is full of well-preserved marble features, including murals, doorways, doorjambs, windows, and other architectural details. Colonnata is also famous for its lard, a type of cured pork fat. You can buy this local delicacy in the village shops.

Vara Bridges and Tunnels

From Colonnata, we descended along the same route to the first road junction, then turned right towards a place called Tarnone. Next, we passed through the tunnel, which was once part of the marble railway. The tunnels are all one-way, and they reminded us of scenes from the 007 movie.

Along the way, we had views over the villages of Bedizzano and Codena. After about 1 km, we reached the Vara Bridge, just outside the former railway. It was the perfect spot to take more photos of the marble mountains.

Open-Air Exhibition of Tools and Machines

From Vara Bridge, we turned right and drove uphill to Fantiscritti. The area has a large parking lot, toilets, and an open-air exhibition. The exhibition features machines and tools used for over 2,000 years of marble excavation and transportation.

To return to Carrara, we drove back to Vara Bridge. There, we passed through another illuminated tunnel. After the tunnel, we followed the signs for Carrara and were back in the historic town centre after about 2 km.

Travel tips of the Carrara’s Marble RouteJoin a tour instead of self-driving

Our experience showed that it can be quite stressful to follow the Carrara marble route without a guide. Firstly, some sections of the route were unpaved and only suitable for off-road vehicles. Secondly, a few areas lacked proper signage. Lastly, we weren’t able to enter any of the quarries, as they appeared to be open only to organised tours.