A quarrymen's village and the pork fat cured in marble basins
High among the quarries, at the end of a winding road from Carrara, the village of Colonnata was founded by Roman slaves who worked the marble. For centuries the quarrymen's diet relied on a simple, energy-rich food: lardo, pork back fat cured with salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic and spices.
The fat is layered in marble basins called conche, rubbed with garlic, and left to mature for at least six months in cool cellars. The result, now a protected IGP product, is soft, fragrant and pink-white, to be eaten in thin slices on warm bread. The village's shops and taverns offer tastings and sell it vacuum-packed.
Tip: in late August the village celebrates the Sagra del Lardo; combine the visit with a quarry tour, as Colonnata is in the heart of one of the marble basins.
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