Tuscany Study was founded in 2005 to preserve and pass on the art of Italian stone carving through intensive workshops.  Originally held near Siena, since 2008 the course has been run at the epicenter of the stone sculpture world, a town whose name is synonymous with marble: Carrara.  Here, expert carvers guide participants in time-tested techniques, while giving them unique insight into sourcing tools and materials.  This curriculum is complemented by tours to marble quarries and to points of importance in the history of Western sculpture.

Stone carving is one of the most technically demanding media.  In an age of increasing mechanization, Italian master carvers are the few remaining vanguards of an ancient knowledge that is passed on from generation to generation in a demonstrative and oral tradition.  There are no books that will adequately teach you how to carve stone.  As one old master Sienese sculptor is fond of saying: Devi fare, fare, fare.  You have to just do it.  And with proper guidance, you will save yourself innumerable hours filled with misdirected energy, mistakes, the formation of bad habits, purchasing the wrong tools, and procuring overpriced or compromised stone.

This program is a fully-immersive entrée to the world of Italian marble carving. Join us for a course and see why Tuscany Study workshop participants get an insider’s fast-track to sculpting stone the way master carvers have been doing for millennia.

THE TEAM

Alasdair Thomson

instructor

Alasdair Thomson is a professional stone sculptor living and working in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Alasdair’s material of choice is marble, in which he renders exquisitely intricate forms.  Learn more about Alasdair Thomson and his remarkable stone sculptures.

Alessandro Lombardo

Instructor

Alessandro Lombardo is a Venetian sculptor and printmaker.  He uses rare traditional techniques to bestow his marble sculptures with an unusual degree of detail and refinement.  Learn more about Alessandro Lombardo and see his masterful marble carving.

Poised on the scenic coastline where Tuscany meets Liguria, Carrara has been the source of the world’s highest quality sculptural marble since pre-Roman times. Michelangelo traveled here to select blocks for his sculptures, and today Carrara remains a center for all things related to stone, including expert craftsmanship and artistry in its use. View Carrara on Google Maps >

Marina di Carrara, the coastal part of Carrara where our course is located, is a quiet resort town. People come from northern Italy to sit along the sea and delight in the warm breezes. There are many restaurants and pizzerias to enjoy, as well as some of the best gelatorias in the region. Sculpture can be seen in nearly every public space and piazza across town. Marble even lines the curbs.

The Tuscany-Liguria border is a picturesque location, set between the mountains and sea. Remarkable works of art are located a stone’s throw away in cities like Pisa, Lucca, and Florence. This trip combines excellent sculpture instruction with spectacular vistas and exposure to the best works of art in the area.