7 - S-TOOLS - The Sound of the Quarry (Jacopo Fillini and Simone Giannini)

This project was born from an encounter with the marble quarry workers of Minucciano, whose spirit of sacrifice and dedication deeply inspired the designers. It sparked a reflection on the importance of narrating a profession that is a cornerstone of the region's history. While in the past this craft was passed down from generation to generation, today this transmission is fading. This is largely due to the abandonment of these areas by young people who no longer see a future in such territories. The S-TOOLS – The Sound of the Quarry project aims to revive the roots of the quarryman's craft, telling its story through sound – through the environment and the traditional operations of the quarries as they were once performed.

From this intent, the idea arose to create two installations for the community which, through the sounds of quarry work, such as block cutting with a helical wire and squaring the marble, would narrate the story of the quarrymen. To further strengthen the connection between these pieces and the history of the craft, the designers imagined a unique path in which urban furnishings alternate with historical storytelling stops, accompanied by reference points that help form a mental image of the surrounding landscape. The two roles chosen to symbolize and recount the quarryman's work are the filisti and the quadratori. The filisti used a helical wire – a cable made from three intertwined steel cords—to cut marble. The quadratori, on the other hand, used chisels and mallets to square off the blocks, preparing them for transport on the lizza (a sled-like device).

In addition to emitting the sounds of traditional quarry operations, the two installations are interactive. Visitors can slide the helical wire or strike a chisel on marble themselves, leaving a mark not only as a sign of craftsmanship but as a silent message and testimony of their passage. To further engage the public in rediscovering this profession and the territory's identity, the designers propose placing totems at strategic points around Lake Gramolazzo. These would continue the narrative initiated by the sound installations and urban elements that honor the quarryman's role. Each totem is shaped to frame a portion of the landscape, highlighting strategic elements of the story, such as Mount Pisanino, home to the two marble basins of the Municipality of Minucciano; Lake Gramolazzo, a long-standing hub for transporting and commercializing marble blocks; and the Museum of the Identity of the Upper Garfagnana, which preserves the memory and identity of this territory.

View the project - S-TOOLS