The Apuane Alps are mountains surrounding the northwest of Tuscany and mainly occupying the province of Massa Carrara. Starting from the northwest side, they develop for 60 km along the Tyrrhenian Sea's coasts, near the Versilia, Lunigiana and Garfagnana territories.

The geological structure of these mountains is particularly complex because they have undergone numerous mutations with time, such as sedimentation, submersions and re-emersions.
On the surface there are several steep areas constituted of rocks not covered with vegetation that make these mountains more similar to the Alps than to the Apennines.
That is why they are called this way. In other areas, the vegetation is thick and uncontaminated, also thanks to the scarce wood exploitation by local populations. Therefore, there are many chestnut-groves, forests of beeches and oaks.
Moreover, this area is rich in marble that has been dug out since the most remote times. There are also many caves differing in depth. They have a calcareous structure, with underground streams and a lot of stalactites and stalagmites as their distinguishing feature.
Among them, the Grotta del Vento is the most well-known and it is near Fornovalasco, in the province of Lucca. Although not being very deep, it is characterized both by particular shade and light variations that colour it and by quite strong water flows crossing it.