Massa

Massa, distinguished as MASSA DI CARRARA, a city of Northern Italy, 20 miles by rail SE. of Spezia. It is a bishop's see, has a public library, an academy of arts and sciences, a cathedral, and a ducal palace. The inhabitants, 8998 in 1881, rear silkworms, grow tobacco, press oil, make paper, saw timber, and trade in the white marble that all sculptors use.—The province of Massa and Carrara has an area of 687 sq. m., and a pop. (1881) of 169,469; (1894) 181,397. In 1568 the ruling family in Massa were created princes, and in 1664 dukes. The dukedom passed by marriage to the house of Modena-Este in 1741.