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Forte dei Marmi - Photo (c)
giuliomarziale
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Versilia Towns
Camaiore
the
village is located at the bottom of a valley surrounded
by hills as well as the northern Apennines. Small town
founded in Roman times with the typical orthogonal
layout, it contains many artistic treasures like the
well known Collegiate Church and Benedectine Abbey.
Due
to the ideal location and characteristics of the
territory, many Americans and English people have
settled in this untouched countryside following the
example of prominent Italian families like Mondadori.
The local economy is based on specialized agriculture
and tourism with most of the hotels, bathing clubs and
restaurant located in Lido di Camaiore, its seaside
resort.
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Forte dei Marmi
It is the most recent
municipality, having been founded in 1914. Its territory
borders Marina di Pietrasanta in the south and stretches
up to Cinquale in the northern part. The modern area is
built around its small historic center near the fort,
dating from 1782. Today, its pier stretching out into
the sea for about 100 meters, is frequented by strollers
and fishermen but in the past was used to transporting
marble from the Apuan Mountains.
On clear days a
breath-taking scenery of the sea and mountain can be
enjoyed from here and the Apuans seem almost to soar
above the sea. Today it is a very popular destination
for tourists from all over the world. In the 1930s
Agnelli family chose the town for their summer residence
making famous and starting a trend for many other
wealthy industrial families coming from northern Italy
who continue to spend their holidays here.
Roma Imperiale, to the south of the town center, is a maze
small streets lined by a magnificent villas completely
surrounded by luxuriant vegetation where the night life
is enjoyed with moderation but can be as exciting as in
the most famous resort in Sardinia.
The incomparable Wednesday-morning weekly market in
Marconi's Square is famous all over Italy.
Massarosa
Located at the foot of the hills, the
territory became inhabited ever since the pre-historic
age with peculiar environmental features. It consist of
lake Massaciuccoli, cherished and celebrated by the
famous composer Giacomo Puccini, as well as the hilly
area cultivated with the vineyards and olive groves
which, along with the home cooking of its restaurant,
makes it a haven of peace, ideal to spend an afternoon
away from the bustling life at the beach.
Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta is a town of
considerable artistic and cultural importance situated
at the foot of the ancient Lombard Fortress
overlooking the built-up area around the magnificent
piazza del Duomo full of marble workshop and numerous
sculpture studios.
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Versilia Beach - Photo (c)
(gian)
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Artists of all nationalities work and
meet in the town, creating an intense artistic activity
and during the summer these organize exhibitions as
well as "one man shows" in relationship to more
important events.
Marble carving courses are also available for young
artists from every part of the world
The town also hosts the
Museum of Models where sketches and models of famous
Italian and foreign artists are displayed. Thanks to all
these cultural initiatives, the town has been defined
Little Athens. Marina di Pietrasanta. the
seaside resort, offers numerous welcoming cafès and
discos in addition to a beautiful wide sandy beach and a
clean sea.
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Seravezza Hills - Photo (c)
maharajx
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Seravezza
The town is situated at the foot of the
Apuan Alps and its origins are medieval. Its
mountainous territory is characterized by marble
quarries, the main source of wealth of the place, highly
sought after ever since the 15th century, to such an
extent that actually Michelangelo came here to choose
the raw for his works of art.
Of considerable interest
is the 16th century Medici Palace, nowadays a venue for
exhibitions and cultural events, in addition to a
well-equipped
Museum of Work and Popular Traditions.
Stazzema
Nestled on the slopes of Monte Matanna
and surrounded by the fascinating peaks of the Pania
della Croce and Corchia, the village of Stazzema is an
ideal starting point for excursions to the Park of the
Apuan Alps.
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The first historic traces date back to the
9th century, when the construction of the Church Santa
Maria Assunta began. Not far from the town is the
Antro del Corchia - a huge karsic cavern - recently
opened to the public. In the area is the village of
Sant'Anna, where one of the most horrendous massacres by
the nazis took place in 1944. On a hill a monument to
Peace has been erected as a symbol for mankind.
Viareggio
Largest municipality in Versilia with
an ancient center dating back to the 12th. Its name
derives from the Via Regia, which joined the coast to
the hinterland during the Middle Ages. The city is a
renowned seaside resort, with its economy based on
tourism, trade, fishing and floriculture. It boasts an
efficient tourist port containing 500 boats. Viareggio's
shipyards are famous all over the world for the
building, maintenance and repairing pleasure boats,
mostly yachts.
Towards the end of the 19th century boat building gave
the inhabitants of Viareggio the idea for the
construction of the first carnival floats supported by a
wooden skeleton. In the course of time these became
today's artistically created papier machè
floats.
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Viareggio - Storm - Photo (c) Nicola del Mutolo -
Numismatic
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The Viareggio Municipality also includes Torre del Lago
Puccini, home to the Maestro Giacomo Puccini where he
lived and composed many of his operas.
Courtesy of
Versilia Tourist Office
see also
www.laversilia.it
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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