Hidden away in a lush Slovenian valley, across

from a gently trickling stream, you might be

surprised to come across a small mine. Overseen

by just two men, this is where the distinctive

Marmor Hotavlje stone has been cut since 1721.

“We use our heads and not our hands for our

work,” one of the miners jokes. “Once you’re

relying on your strength, you’re done for.” And yet

this modest operation is the starting point for

something much, much bigger. From DAR to

Volpini 2, Bravo Eugenia and Here Comes The Sun,

this is the town where superyachts come to be

born. Or at least, the stone parts of them do.

As any yacht lover knows, stone is at the heart

of every beautiful boat. From the delicate rose

mosaics encircling the plunge pool of Areti, to the

striking veined marbles on board Amels’ Plvs Vltra,

stone is what makes yachts feel special, historic,

and grand. And, with increasingly stringent fire

safety laws coming into play, this natural wonder-

material is more in demand than ever.

Enter Marmor Hotavlje, an unassuming studio

in the Slovenian countryside, that has been

exporting stone for decades. At one stage, the

mine was run by the state and had most of the

inhabitants of the town of Hotavlje working for it.

Today, the company employs artisans from

around the world, sources stone and marble from

near and far, and is a family business, overseen by

current owner Branko Selak, and run by his sons

Tomaž and Damijan.

h

Top left: workshop manager Arnes
Dianna with the hammer given to
him by his mentor. Above and top
right: water jets use lasers to cut to
an accuracy of 0.03mm. Left: a giant
saw cuts marble into slabs (top left),
which designers can then inspect.
Right: buffing marble for tabletops.
Below: craftsmen in this workshop
specialise in assembling detailed
mosaics and more intricate pieces

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