The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us to Carrara, a city known above all for its marble, famous throughout the world.Carrara rises along the Carrione river, in the north of Tuscany, about 130 km from Florence.The city can be identified just below the center of the image, stretching towards the mountains.The city is famous for its white or gray-blue marble, called “di Carrara”, taken from the nearby quarries in the Apuan Alps, a mountain system that extends for approximately 55 km and reaches approximately 2,000 meters in height.What appears as a snow cover over the rugged mountains is actually brilliant white marble, contrasting with the lush, green vegetation of Tuscany.Carrara marble is one of the most prestigious marbles in the world, its quarries produce more marble than any other place on Earth.This unique stone was formed from the calcite-rich shells abandoned by marine organisms at the time of their death.As the reservoirs evaporate, the deposited remains form limestone, and when buried under layers of rock weighing several tons, the intense heat and pressure cause the limestone to turn into marble.The special quality of Carrara marble has made it a popular material for many famous sculptures, including Michelangelo's Pietà, and has been used for some of the grandest constructions of Ancient Rome, such as the Pantheon and Trajan's Column.In this summer image from Sentinel-2 the cities of Forte dei Marmi, Pietrasanta, Lido di Camaiore and Viareggio are also visible.Marina di Carrara, south-west of the city, is a seaside resort on the Ligurian Sea, which also offers port infrastructures for the transport and shipping of marble.The tourist resorts and the most famous beaches in the surrounding area are Marina di Carrara and Marina di Massa, both of which become very crowded during the summer, especially thanks to Italian vacationers.La Spezia, an important naval base and second largest city in Liguria, is visible at the top left of the image.The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites on the same orbit, spaced 180 ° for optimal coverage and data distribution.Together, they cover all land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waters every five days at the equator.This image is part of the Earth from Space video series.© 2022 MeteoWeb - Publisher Socedit srl - VAT / CF 02901400800