The drive from Genoa to Florence is one of Italy’s most picturesque routes, slinking along the Tyrrhenian coast before darting inland into Tuscany’s historic centre. But if you’re in Italy to sample the country’s gastronomic delights, allow us to recommend a detour. Head north-east when you reach Carrara, wind your way up into the Apuan Alps and you’ll find the tiny village of Colonnata. On the surface, this sleepy hamlet might seem unremarkable – another beautiful village in a region that’s famous for its rustic charm – but there’s lots more to Colonnata than meets the eye.
This part of Tuscany is famously rich with marble, and Colonnata was first settled by the Romans, who started mining here instead of using costly Pentelic marble from Greece. Centuries later, the Italian renaissance was built on marble from Colonnata, and many of the sculptures and buildings you see in nearby Florence, Siena and Pisa probably started life here. ‘They say Michelangelo came to Colonnata to choose the marble for his sculptures personally,’ says Fabrizio Cattani, our guide for the day. Fabrizio’s connection to Colonnata is a strong one; he was born here, and now owns a company called Mafalda that produces Colonnata’s other famous export – lardo.