About

Pietre dure is a fine art that calls for using the colors and patterns in semi-precious stones to craft an image. It's like a paint-by-number, but done with tiny slices of stone. The Ministry for Cultural Heritage in Florence has the Opificio Delle Pietre Dure (which translates to "workshop of semi-precious stones") where you can learn about pietre dure via its conservation school, library, archives of conservations, and scientific lab. But the must-see attraction is the showroom full of historic examples--most of which are tabletops and cabinet plaques--including a particularly impressive malachite fireplace.