Karystian Cipollino Marble

This carefully illustrated book tells the fascinating story of how thousands of tons of the much-desired Karystian cipollino marble were transported across the Empire as part of the great Roman marble trade. It is the culmination of years of research by Jeanne Sutherland who describes how great columns and blocks of the green-veined marble were carved from the mountainside quarries, between Karystos and Stira in southern Euboea, and shipped throughout the Empire - from Rome to Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon and beyond. There it was used to adorn the magnificent temples, theatres, libraries and baths of the great Roman cities, where much can still be seen today. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the reopening of the ancient quarries to supply cipollino for famous buildings in the United Kingdom and Europe. Trade in cipollino still flourishes in the modern quarries.