Table 1_The end of cheap Italian marble. Long-term production dynamics and energy constraints in the Apuan marble district (1830–2021).xlsx

Although the geological resource remains abundant, the conditions governing its extraction have changed profoundly over time. This study reconstructs the historical evolution of marble production in the Massa-Carrara district from 1830 to 2021 and examines its long-term dynamics within the broader framework of non-renewable resource exploitation.

Rather than estimating the remaining geological resource, the analysis focuses on the evolution of resource accessibility. Historical production records, quarry census data, economic reports, and published energy assessments indicate that the post-World War II expansion of marble production was closely associated with increasing mechanization, greater external energy inputs, and rising labor productivity. Conversely, the production slowdown observed after the mid-1990s appears to reflect the combined influence of geological, technological, and economic factors rather than simple resource depletion.