Tuscan stone carvers uphold a century old tradition: Italian ancient town tombstone craftsmanship seeks inheritance in transformation. Tuscan stone carvers uphold a century old tradition: Italian ancient town tombstone craftsmanship seeks inheritance in transformation

Florentine News - In March 2025, the small town of Carstania in the Tuscany region of Italy once again became the focus of attention from the outside world. This ancient town with a population of only over 3000 possesses the most well preserved traditional stone carving and tombstone making techniques in Italy. In recent years, with the rise in material costs and the outflow of young people, this craft, which was founded in the 19th century, is facing unprecedented challenges to its inheritance. The tradition of stone carving in Karlstania can be traced back to 1852, when local farmers discovered a finely textured and warm colored gray limestone while mining nearby quarries. This stone, known as "Tuscan gray" in the industry, quickly became the preferred material for tombstones of the nobility in central Italy. Over the following decades, the town gradually gathered more than forty stone carving workshops, and their products were exported to Rome, Milan, and even the south of France. Our family has been in this industry for five generations, "said Marco Benasconi, a 52 year old stone carver standing at the entrance of the workshop, holding a steel chisel passed down from his grandfather." But in my son's generation, the situation has changed. He studied computer science and works in Milan. To be honest, I don't know how long this craft can be passed down. "According to the Italian Handicraft Federation, the number of craftsmen engaged in traditional stone carving tombstone making in Italy has decreased from about 12000 in the 1990s to less than 4000 currently, with an average age of over 55. The younger generation generally believes that this industry has limited income and high work intensity, and is more inclined to choose "white-collar" jobs in cities. However, a turning point is also quietly emerging. At the end of 2024, the Italian Ministry of Culture will include the Karlstania stone carving technique in the list of key protected "disappearing handicrafts" and allocate 1.8 million euros for support. The local government has launched the "Craftsman Apprentice Program" to provide a monthly subsidy of 1200 euros for young students, and has also contacted the Florence Academy of Fine Arts to offer short-term courses in stone sculpture. We don't need to train four hundred craftsmen, "said Francesco Ricci, the mayor of Karlstania." But we need to keep ten or twenty so that this craft won't be lost. "He revealed that four young people in their twenties in the town have already signed up for the new apprenticeship training that started in March this year. At the same time, the "slow death movement" that emerged after the epidemic has also brought new market opportunities for traditional tombstone craftsmanship. More and more families are pursuing more personalized and artistic tombstone designs, rather than artificial stone products produced on assembly lines. Benasconi revealed that about 30% of the orders he received last year came from young customers under the age of 40. "They don't want that kind of generic thing. They want to engrave their family's story on stone." However, cost remains the biggest obstacle. The price of traditional handmade stone carved tombstones is usually three to five times that of mass-produced products in factories, which makes many families hesitate. Benasconi admitted that his workshop has started to introduce CNC engraving equipment in recent years to reduce some process costs, but the core engraving and polishing work still relies on manual labor. Machines can quickly form, but the final 'breath' - the texture that can only be given by human hands - cannot be replaced. In Verona, northern Italy, the first 'Italian Tombstone Art Biennial' was held this year, inviting top domestic stone carvers to showcase innovative design works. Exhibition curator Laura Marcchetti said that tombstone art has long been overlooked by the mainstream art world, but she hopes this exhibition can change this bias. "Death is a part of life, and the way of commemorating the deceased is also an artistic expression."

Back in Karlstania, the afternoon sun shone on the quarry outside the town, and several freshly cut "Tuscan gray" stone slabs were waiting to be transported to various workshops. Benasconi looked at his phone and saw a message from his son saying he would come back to stay for a few days this Easter. Maybe we could let him try the chisel at that time, "Benasconi said with a smile and a hint of expectation in his eyes." Don't rush, take it slow. There are some things that can't be rushed. "

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Reporter: Giuseppe Colombo from Florence