Belgian marble is the name given to limestones extracted in Wallonia (southern Belgium). They exhibit nice decorative patterns after polishing. Belgian marble has been exploited since Roman antiquity.
Belgian marbles are mostly deep black, red or greyish. They have enjoyed an international renown since the renaissance, and have been used in prestigious European buildings such as the Palace of Versailles. The rock is actually not a marble (a metamorphic rock) but a limestone (a calcareous sedimentary rock).
Some important Belgian marbles are:
- Rouge Belge: including Rouge de Rance and Rouge Royal.
- Noir Belge: including Noir de Golzinne and Noir de Mazy.
Famous quotes containing the words belgian and/or marble:
“This fat pistache of Belgian grapes exceeds
The total gala of auburn aureoles.
Cochon! Master, the grapes are here and now.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“Light
Flashed from his matted head and marble feet,
He grappled at the net
With the coiled, hurdling muscles of his thighs:
The corpse was bloodless, a botch of reds and whites,”
—Robert Lowell (1917–1977)