Nature & Surroundings

Campo dell’ Altissimo is situated near the entrance to Azzano, a mountain village in a romantic side valley of the Apuan Alps. This is where we work and live in the midst of this abundant natural environment.

About 450 m above sea level, we have a mild climate all around the year. In summer, when the sun can be very hot in the rest of Italy, we are especially fortunate to have pleasant temperatures for our artistic work.

Nearby Monte Altissimo, the mountain which is the namesake for the Campo, also serves as a water reservoir for the creek Serra, which continues to flow even in the dry midsummer months. This creek provides the basis for the abundance of flora in the area, and the opportunity to swim in its cool depths in any season.

Ambience

Azzano has a unique ambiance. And there are two things that shape the landscape: On the one hand there is the forest of chestnut trees surrounding the village which has a cooling effect on the climate. This forest was planted, long ago, on terraces, and grows up the side of the mountain.

On the other hand there are the quarries where people have mined for marble for centuries. Michelangelo was the first to open up marble deposits for the Medici in this region. Nowadays, you can follow the old tracks laid out by quarry workers from Azzano through the chestnut forest all the way up to the quarries.

Nowadays, you can follow the old tracks laid out by quarry workers from Azzano through the chestnut forest all the way up to the quarries. From this viewpoint, a spectacular view opens on the whole mountaintop, and you can look down over the plains to the ocean with its long sandy beaches.