 While the town was apparently not established until 177 BC, when a colony of 2000 Roman citizens was founded there, the harbour is mentioned by Ennius, who sailed from there to Sardinia in 205 BC under Manlius Torquatus.It was also being contested by the Romans as early as 195 BC, when they were fighting the Ligurians and Apuans in the area.The site was used as a base for the quarrying of marble from the quarries of modern-day Carrara, as the marble in that quarry is fine, and the harbour allowed the marble to be shipped to Rome easily.