Rușchița marble quarry

In a place with a breathtaking landscape, tourists can admire a unique attraction located in Caraș-Severin County. We're talking about the marble quarry in Rușchița, considered the largest in Romania. Marble in various colors, hidden in the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, at an altitude of approximately 800 meters, in the commune of Rusca Montană, represents one of the riches of the western part of the country, often referred to as the "white gold" of Banat Montan.

The Rușchița marble quarry is located at the confluence of the Raci stream with the Rusca River and is recommended to be viewed from the mountain top, having the shape of an "upside-down bell," with the marble being exploited in steps. Rușchița is the most renowned marble deposit in Romania, exploited since the late 19th century. Currently, the exploitation area covers 43 hectares, consisting of the "Old Quarry" - Gropan and the "New Quarry" from Dealul lui Ionel.

The first to draw attention to the remarkable qualities of the marble from Caraș-Severin County, comparing it to the famous Carrara marble, was the Hungarian sculptor Istvani Ferenczy. However, the value of the marble had been appreciated since Roman times. In 1883, the Rușchița marble deposit began to be exploited by Johann Biebel, a renowned construction engineer from Banat. He became the first owner of the quarry, which he nicknamed "a magyar Carrara."

"After Johann Biebel's death, his son, Janos, one of the architects of the Eiffel Tower, continued the exploitation, so that by 1912 the marble from Rușchița was being exploited in 12 countries," explain the authors of the tourist guide "Banatul Montan." Until 1840, marble extraction was in the form of an inverted bell and reached a depth of 130 meters. After this year, the exploitation was carried out in horizontal slices and longitudinal strips. Starting in 2001, work also began at the New Quarry in Rușchița, located near the Old Quarry, and with the help of modern equipment, the extraction of over 2,000 cubic meters per month is permitted.

Banat Marble at the Milan Cathedral

The Romanian marble from Banat Montan has superior quality, which is why it is classified among the best in the world and can be found in several iconic buildings worldwide. It presents a wide variety of color shades: yellowish-white, porto, pale pink, and intense pink. In the last ten years, Rușchița marble has been successfully used in famous projects around the world, gaining prestige and recognition. Projects include Kowloon Station (Hong Kong), Ardmore Park (Singapore), Marunouchi Center, Soka, and Roppongi Asahi TV (Japan), or in some outstanding works such as the Sultan's Palace in Brunei, Casa Gianni Versace in Miami, the BBC Headquarters in Mannheim, Germany, Villa Rebeca-Miami, or Michael Schumacher's villa in Monte Carlo.

Additionally, it's interesting to note that the third Roman Catholic building in the world, the Milan Cathedral, was restored in the '70s with marble born in the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, at Rușchița.

Text & photo source