The travertine quarries that built ancient Rome are carving rock for a new generation of temples
Associated Press
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A general view of the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Vincenzo De Gennaro, owner of the Degemar Quarry, is interviewed by The Associated Press at his quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Workers use a jackhammer to break a block of travertine at the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Workers use a jackhammer to break a block of travertine at the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A wheel loader loads a block of travertine onto a truck at the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A general view of the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A general view of the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Fabrizio Mariotti is interviewed by The Associated Press at the Mariotti Carlo SpA stonecutting firm in Tivoli, Italy, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, as workers stack pieces of travertine that will be used to adorn the tower of the new Manhattan temple in New York City. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Light reverberates on a travertine block at the Mariotti Carlo SpA stonecutting firm in Tivoli, Italy, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026; the block will be used to adorn the tower of the new Manhattan temple in New York City. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A man sands and polishes a slab of travertine at the Mariotti Carlo SpA stonecutting firm near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, that will be used to adorn the new Manhattan temple in New York City. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Sections of travertine that will be used to adorn the tower of the new Manhattan Mormon temple in New York City are seen inside the Mariotti Carlo SpA stonecutting firm near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A truck carries a block of travertine at the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Pieces of travertine that will be used to adorn the tower of the new Manhattan temple in New York City are wrapped for shipping at the Mariotti Carlo SpA stonecutting firm near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A wall of sectioned travertine is seen at the Degemar quarry near Tivoli, Italy, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A wall of sectioned travertine is seen at the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)View of the farmhouse at the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square, is shown on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Pigeons fly away from the farmhouse at the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A view of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's 17th-century colonnade in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, which was built with travertine from Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A view of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's 17th-century colonnade in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, which was built with travertine from Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)A view of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's 17th-century colonnade in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, which was built with travertine from Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
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A general view of the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)