Arabescato

 Arabescato is part of the white Carrara marble family. Like white Carrara marbles, Arabescato has been exploited since antiquity. The main quarries of Arabescato marble are found in Serravezza Lucca in the Carrara region in Italy. It is a crystaline, transclucide white marble, with grey and black veins, and is well known around the world.    
This marble was used for decoration, furniture and fireplaces. This marble was used to decorate the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles Palace, where the mirrors are framed with Arabescato, inlayed with panels of Campan Grand Mélange marble, and feature Sarrancolin marble on the cornice and base boards.
Another remarkable example is in the large altar of Saint Vincent church in the monastary of Escaladieu in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, where the quality of the carving work of the Arabescato is astonishing and is also inlayed with different marbles (Breche from Sicily in the cartouche, Brocatelle from Sienna, Levanto)
The monumental fireplace made out of Arabescato marble, in the Senate of Luxembourg's conference room is another masterpiece. An exceptional antique Louis XV fireplace decorated with three shells was also made out of this marble for the Princess's Parade Bedroom at Soubise Hotel.

Bibliography

J. Dubarry de Lassale, Utilisation des marbres, Turin, 2005.

J. Dubarry de Lassale, Identification des marbres, Turin, 2000.