WHITE GOLD

In the Apuan Alps, the richest region of marble in Italy, I try to capture the majestic quarries that have been operating in the area since ancient Rome.

From a distance, the mountains of this part of Northern Italy appear to be covered in snow. In reality, they are made up of marble: a metamorphic form of limestone formed by an interlocking mosaic of carbonate crystals. Filmed for the New York Times Magazine, Locatelli's series illustrated a side of marble we are rarely aware of: its beginnings. Using drones, Locatelli photographed the marble extraction process: from the mountains, to transport by truck, train, ship, in the workshop to get to the final product.