The travertine quarries that built ancient Rome are carving rock for a new generation of temples

A general view of the Degemar Quarry near Tivoli, Italy, 35 kilometers east of Rome, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, where 17th-century Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini selected travertine for the colonnade of St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)