Ducale Marmi - Design Academy, Marble & Innovation

Ducale Marmi is an Italian company operating in the natural stone sector, with strong roots in Sicily and in the marble district of Custonaci, one of the most significant stone-producing areas in the Mediterranean. The company combines experience in natural stone, quarrying and processing with an increasing interest in design, innovation, sustainability and international cooperation. Its activities provide an opportunity to explore the entire journey of natural stone: from the geological and territorial context of the quarry to extraction and processing, and from craftsmanship and industrial know-how to contemporary design and new applications. Ducale Marmi is interested in developing a European dimension through Erasmus+ and other international partnerships, particularly in the fields of vocational education and training, job shadowing, study visits, sustainability, entrepreneurship, design and the transmission of technical and traditional knowledge. The company can contribute to educational experiences connected with the marble and natural stone sector, including visits to quarries and production environments, meetings with professionals, observation of working processes and interdisciplinary activities linking stone with geology, landscape, architecture, art, design and local heritage. A particular area of interest is the development of cultural and educational routes around natural stone connecting Sicily, Tuscany and Rome. These territories offer different but complementary perspectives on the history and contemporary use of marble: extraction and production districts, craftsmanship, architecture, artistic heritage, design and the relationship between stone and the Mediterranean landscape. In Sicily, the Custonaci area offers a particularly valuable learning environment where participants can discover the local marble district, its quarries, its industrial heritage and distinctive natural stones, as well as reflect on environmental restoration, circular approaches and the future of quarry landscapes. Through European cooperation, Ducale Marmi aims to create connections with VET schools, training centres, universities, companies, designers, architects, cultural organisations and other European partners interested in natural stone, craftsmanship, sustainable production, territorial heritage and innovation. Our objective is to transform industrial expertise and territorial knowledge into opportunities for learning, professional exchange and European cooperation, connecting the tradition of Italian natural stone with new generations, new skills and new international networks.