This week we commemorated the 450th anniversary of Michelangelo's death and we visited Carrara marble quarries, where this incredible Renaissance artist sourced the marble for his amazing sculptures. This precious stone is so central to Italian art and history that the word 'marmo' is also used in some idiomatic expressions:
A person can be 'duro/a come il marmo' (literally - hard like marble) or 'freddo/a come il marmo' (literally - cold like marble) which means he/she is cold and unfriendly.
Similarly, people can have 'il cuore duro/freddo come il marmo' (literally - heart hard/cold like marble) which means they have a heart of stone.
Someone can even 'diventare come il marmo' (literally - turn into marble) when becoming pale and cold.
Important things are not set in simple stone in Italy, but rather in marble: 'scolpito nel marmo' or 'inciso nel marmo'.
And when Italians are surprised or godsmacked, marble is again the right comparison and they say 'restare di marmo', even though in these cases they can even opt for a cheaper material and 'restare di stucco' (plaster).
