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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Alice Pistolesi and Monica Pelliccia

Brave newt world: the species swimming against the tide of Italian marble

Carrara Tuscany
A brightly coloured Italian alpine newt photographed in the lake at the Crespina 2 quarry in Tuscany.
A brightly coloured Italian alpine newt photographed in the lake at the Crespina 2 quarry in Tuscany. Photograph: Manuel Micheli

The heart of the Apuan Alps in Tuscany, Italy, is home to one of the biggest marble mines in the world, with about 160 active quarries in the Massa Carrara and Lucca areas. Since Roman times, creamy-white Carrara marble has been dug out of these mountains. It is the most sought-after marble in the world, and has inspired artists and architects everywhere.

The Italian alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris apuana)
The Italian alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris apuana). Photograph: Manuel Micheli
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