Black Portoro marble
(The black gold of Portovenere)
Black Portoro Marble (The black gold of Portovenere)
Black Portoro marble is a very prestigious Italian marble, from the province of La Spezia (in Liguria) and, in particular, from the famous Gulf of Poets.
- The Gulf is made up of towns such as Lerici, Portovenere, Manarola, Tellaro and the famous Palmaria Island (just to name a few).
A marble with a regal, elegant appearance. Black portoro marble is certainly one of the most loved and requested materials in contemporary interior design projects. Particularly suitable for the creation of decorative elements, objects, sculptures, floors and, of course, coverings.
Its main feature is the black background on which elegant and decorative gold and orange veins emerge.
Since it is mainly quarried in the Portovenere area, black portoro marble is also called the black gold of Portovenere.
Features of Black Portoro marble
One of the fundamental characteristics of portoro marble – in addition to the golden veins ranging from pure yellow to the color of honey – is the background color which must be as dark as possible until reaching the so-called “black sepia”.
- Author’s note: cuttlefish ink is the dark liquid, also called ink, which cuttlefish and other cephalopods secrete.
A black color so intense and brilliant that anyone who sees a slab of polished black portoro marble is left speechless and literally fascinated (it does not have that intense and brilliant characteristic when it has just been extracted, on the contrary, it looks grey).
This characteristic is typical of all the black portoro marble that Be marmi has in stock (company in Carrara) and decisively changes the optical effect of the material itself at the time of polishing and installation.
Portoro marble in antiquity
Black portoro marble had great success in the 1900s but has been used since ancient times. As already specified several times in this same article, the particularity of its appearance makes it a unique marble, irreplaceable as an ornamental material.
There is no such stone in the world, equally characteristic and so luxurious and sophisticated.
Portoro is a real work of natural art, of which it is impossible not to be enchanted. The first time you see this marble, you are left speechless, it is extremely beautiful.
“This marble, probably already used by the Etruscans, was used in the Roman city of Luni in the paving of the Roman road of the Cardo-Maximum and in the Amphitheater (Pandolfi, 1971). The Romans initially used Portoro only as a building material but then they also used it in more demanding works and in private construction in natural or polished slabs for coverings or floors”.
- Author’s note: extract from Sara Odino’s degree thesis (see final notes).
We find Portoro marble in the imperial villas of ancient Rome and we also find it in the most luxurious buildings of the Renaissance, in Roman churches and in the most luxurious European palaces of the 19th century.
During this period, it was mainly used in Switzerland, Belgium and France, where in particular, it was used in Versailles.
“During the Renaissance there was a return to the use of marble following the rediscovery of classical taste. During the reign of Cosimo I de’ Medici there was a great boost in the research and extraction of polychrome marbles such as Giallo Siena, Brecce Medicee and Portoro. Various examples could also be found in Italy and Europe in the Baroque period“.
- Author’s note: Wikipedia source (see final notes).
“In Rome it was used for the interiors (floors and altars) of various churches such as San Pietro in Vincoli, San Silvestro in Capite, San Paolo outside the walls, San Giovanni in Laterano, San Lorenzo outside the walls, Santa Maria Maddalena in Campo Marzio, Santi Giovanni e Paolo, San Luigi dei Francesi”.
- Author’s note: Wikipedia source (see final notes).
Black portoro marble: beautiful and elegant
Portoro marble has been used for centuries in all top-level processes and extra-luxury coverings. In fact, we find it in the most beautiful historic Italian buildings.
- Portoro is a stone of great beauty suitable for interior furnishings.
Its originality and elegance make it one of the best stones suitable for fine coverings, including floors, vertical coverings, false ceilings, walls and decorative accents. As well as for many modern furnishing accessories: fireplaces, columns, sculptures, tops, and more.
Black Portoro marble amazes in interiors, bathrooms, kitchens, countertops, shower surrounds and water areas. Widely used in inlays, due to the contrast created with the combination of light marbles such as: white Carrara marble, Carrara arabesque, Norwegian pink, Siena yellow, Sicilian pearl and many others.
Table in black portoro marble inside the Chapter Tower of Portovenere
Due to its extraordinary beauty, black portoro marble is particularly loved and used by the most important architects and interior designers from all over the world. Black portoro marble has been used in projects for large buildings, towers, shopping centres, hotels and luxury villas all over the world.
Made in Italy
In short, black Portoro marble is something unique, a real Made in Italy jewel. Something that only Italy can boast of having. To be honest, a natural jewel that only the Portovenere area (in the province of La Spezia) can boast about.
How to get black portoro marble
To buy black portoro marble, contact BE Marmi in Carrara (Tuscany). To be precise Antonio Bernardini:
- Physical address: Via Anderlino, 3 – 54033 Carrara (MS) Toscana Italy
- Sales office: (+39)0585 872054
- Antonio Bernardini cellular phone number: (+39)339/733.66.85
- Email: info@bemarmi.com
Portoro black marble: who are we
Article sources
“Black Portoro marble (the black gold of Portovenere)!” is an article born and assembled from multiple sources, such as:
- BE Marmi
- Degree thesis by Sara Odino (academic year 2004/2005) – University of Parma. Faculty of MM.FF.NN. Degree Course in Geological Sciences. October 26, 2005
- Wikipedia.org/wiki/Portoro
- Treccani Online: Portoro in the Vocabulary italy – Treccani
Nero Portoro marble (The black gold of Portovenere)
Alla grande !!!
Grazie per i complimenti Francesco…