Dating back to 1821, the company?s beginning can be credited to a well-known historical figure -- Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor. According to the company?s records, Napoleon had sent one of his lieutenants, Jean Baptiste Henraux to the Apuan Alps -- a region in Italy with a reputation for vast marble deposits -- to select a piece of marble that would be worthy of celebrating Napoleon?s greatness. While on this mission, Henraux learned a great deal about marble and the quarrying process. As a result, he decided to open his own company, which still bears his name today.
Among the quarries in the Apuan Alps that Henraux visited was the statuary marble quarry of Mount Altissimo, which supplied material to the renowned Italian artist Michelangelo for his masterpieces. Henraux was so impressed with the Altissimo quarries that he re-opened them when he started his company.