Italian marble has been used for millenia inside and out. Over centuries, you can see dips in areas like steps where many feet have passed by but this adds to the charm. When you ask about the best brand of Italian marble, I'm a little confused. Marble is a natural product, not manufactured, so there are no brand names. There are quarries where the marble is extracted, and once the quarries are emptied, that particular kind of marble is probably never going to be found again. I hope this helps. Deal with a reputable vendor who will stand behind his stock if there are any kind of issues such as breakage or extreme differences in sizes or thickness which make installation very difficult or impossible.