Humanity has used all types of rocks to erect all kinds of buildings since the Neolithic Revolution, when the first permanent settlements appear. Building was a vital necessity, and people used the rocks that were within easy reach, close to the settlements. Along the centuries, construction techniques were refined, giving birth to Architecture, the mixture of art and science that creates the human habitat. As early as the 1st century BC, Vitruvius describes architecture as the balance between three principles: Beauty, Firmness and Utility. This new concept of construction requires unique rocks with exceptional aesthetic attributes (Beauty), durable (Firmness), and can that be adapted to any shape that arise from the architect's imagination (Utility). Only a few rocks are capable of satisfactorily meeting these requirements. These rocks are reserved for the most important works, those that will speak of the greatness of a civilization for centuries to come. They are rocks that have their own entity, which is transferred to buildings. One example is Carrara marble, which over the centuries has shaped some of the greatest works in the history of art and architecture.
