Griotte rouge
Griotte marble is named after the griotte cherry because of its remarkable bright red. The more red the marble, the higher quality it is. When the marble contains many goniatites (small fossilized shells) full of white calcite the marble is called “Partridge eye”. The quarries, still active today, are in the Herault region and the name “Griotte from Italy” is a marketing label. Red Griotte was the favourite marble for Royal apartments in the 18th century, particularly for mantles, like the one in the office of Louis XIV in Versailles.
Bibliography :
J. Dubarry de Lasalle, Identification of marbles, Ed. H. Vial, Dourdan, 2000
J. Dubarry de Lasalle, The use of marbles, Ed. H. Vial, Dourdan, 2005
P. Julien, Marbres, From Quarries to Palaces, ed. Le Bec en l'air, Manosque, 2006
Marmi antichi, collective work, ed. De Luca, Rome, 1998
