Italy Travertine Quarries
A view of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's 17th-century colonnade in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, which was built with travertine from Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome.
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The same travertine quarries near Rome that built St. Peter’s Basilica and the Colosseum are still being dug out today, providing the distinctive pock-marked rock to build a new generation of churches, temples and mosques worldwide. It is prized by architects for several reasons: It’s strong, plentiful and can withstand any number of climactic and environmental assaults. Depending on how and where it’s cut, it has a variety of looks: rough or sleek, in various colors. One of the latest projects is a new travertine façade for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in New York City.
