Bold claim: Rome’s ancient quarry system still shapes modern skylines, and the rock that built an empire continues to build the future. But here’s where it gets controversial: is a stone with a 2,000-year track record really the best choice for new temples, banks, and mosques around the world today? The story of Tivoli’s travertine answers that question as it unfolds across centuries.
In Tivoli, Italy, Roman builders once traveled to nearby quarries to extract a porous limestone known as lapis tiburtinus—today called travertine. They then floated the stone downstream on rafts to artisans in town. This is how Rome raised the Colosseum two millennia ago and how St. Peter’s Basilica and Bernini’s grand colonnade were carved and assembled in later eras.
Today, the same Tivoli quarries continue to yield travertine for a new generation of construction projects worldwide—encompassing churches and mosques as well as banks, museums, government buildings, and homes. While other nations possess similar sedimentary limestones, Roman travertine is distinctive because it is quarried underground, sourced from sulfur-rich springs and basins around Tivoli. Comprised mainly of calcium carbonate, travertine formed hundreds of thousands of years ago through deposits of calcium, sulfur, and other minerals, and its layered striations record the region’s volcanic activity, ancient forests, and fossils.
Architects prize travertine for several reasons: it is strong, abundant, and capable of withstanding diverse climates and stresses. Its appearance varies with quarrying method and location, ranging from rough textures to sleek finishes, with hues that can include warm whites peppered with irregular black holes, or sandy beiges with gray, brown, or even greenish veining.
A family business with a global footprint
For four generations, the Mariotti Carlo SpA stonecutting firm has specialized in carving travertine to satisfy some of the world’s most iconic commissions. Their work has graced projects such as the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Bank of China headquarters in Beijing, and the Great Mosque in Algiers, among others. On a recent day in their Tivoli warehouse, slabs of travertine destined for a temple reconstruction by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon church) lay neatly on the floor. These blocks are cut into customized puzzle-like pieces that will be assembled on-site in New York City.
After supplying travertine for a temple in Rome, Mariotti was chosen by the church to restore the Manhattan temple on the Upper West Side. That building sits opposite Broadway from Lincoln Center and the Juilliard School, both of which previously featured Mariotti-cut travertine when the rock first entered the U.S. market.
“Travertine is a classic stone known the world over. It’s like carrying the light of Rome everywhere, because the stone’s ability to reflect light is truly special,” says Fabrizio Mariotti, head of the family business.
A quarry with a Bernini connection
The Tivoli quarries are loud with the sounds of hammers and drills, and their air carries the sharp tang of sulfur. At the Degemar quarries, rock is drilled down to roughly 30 meters below sea level, while bright blue pools of sulfur springs collect travertine residue. Flat-bed trucks haul massive slabs—sometimes weighing 33 tons—up to street level for processing.
It was here that Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the master Baroque sculptor and architect, sourced the pristine white travertine used for the 284 columns and 88 piers of the St. Peter’s Square colonnade, along with many other church and Roman masterpieces. Bernini even maintained a home overlooking the quarry, a reminder of how entwined his work was with these stone foundations.
Today’s quarry head, Vincenzo De Gennaro, notes that Bernini’s tower still features the pigeon coop that once carried orders from Rome to the quarry. Meanwhile, the quarry now supplies projects as far away as Riyadh’s new airport and Shenzhen’s new headquarters for China’s governing party, illustrating travertine’s enduring global reach.
A living stone with a long warranty
De Gennaro emphasizes travertine’s durability by pointing to Rome’s enduring monuments as a literal 2,000-year guarantee. “There is the concrete testimony of a civilization that has stood in the light of day, shining undisturbed for 2,000 years,” he says.
Marco Ferrero, a civil engineering professor at Rome’s La Sapienza University, highlights travertine’s appeal as a link to ancient Rome and the classical world. He contrasts it with marble, noting that travertine’s resilience makes it more suitable for exterior life in varied climates. “Marble speaks in elegant Italian; travertine speaks in Roman dialect. It is truly the stone of the Romans. Like Roman cuisine—simple, resourceful, and enduring—travertine embodies authenticity and tradition.”
Contemplating the broader story
The tale of Tivoli’s travertine is more than geology and architecture. It’s a narrative of how a natural resource can echo through cultures and centuries, shaping architectural language from ancient temples to contemporary landmarks. The stone’s continued use invites a broader conversation about sustainability, provenance, and the balance between preserving history and meeting modern-building demands.
Would you choose travertine for a modern project, given its storied past and distinctive look, or would you prefer a newer material with perhaps a lighter environmental footprint? How do you weigh historical resonance against contemporary construction needs in your own design choices?
