Things to see in Versilia
Along the northern coast of Tuscany stretches Versilia, a region renowned for its long golden beaches, for its discos and pubs attracting every evening thousands of young people fro all over Tuscany and for the Carnival of Viareggio
Actually, Versilia is also rich in artistic and architectural attractions - Seravezza Cathedral, the Cathedral of San Martino in Stazzema and the Collegiate Church in Camaiore -, castles and fortresses of Medieval origin - the castle of Montemagno, the castle of Rotaio, the Torre Matilde in Viareggio and the fortress of Montemaggiori in Camaiore -, Etruscan and Roman archaelogical areas and villas where once lived celebrities of the Italian culture - villa Ginori-Lisci in Massaciuccoli and Puccini villas in Torre del Lago and Viareggio
Those who love nature can hike on the Apuan Alps and visit the "Antro del Corchia" (Corchia Caves).
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| Art in Versilia - The artistic heritage of Versilia boasts many monuments preserved in the numerous towns and villages scattered in the countryside. In Seravezza one can admire the cathedral dating to 16th cent. with its polychrome marbles as well as the 15th cent. baptismal font found in the inside by Stagio Stagi, an architect from Pietrasanta Then, the Medici Palace with its impressive portal built in 1555 by Bartolomeo Ammannati for Cosimo I of the Medici family. Also outstanding is the Romanesque parish church of San Martino, situated in the mountain hamlet of Azzano. At Stazzema you can admire the 12th cent. Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Assunta, with several precious ... Art in Versilia |
| | Medieval Versilia - The Via Francigena was the most important road in medieval Italy, linking places of great Christian spirituality such as Canterbury, Compostela, Rome and Jerusalem. These cities soon became major pilgrimage destinations for people of all nationalities, languages and traditions be it for religious, social or commercial reasons. Moreover, this road was used for transporting all kinds of goods and for the displacement of armies. The stretch of route involving Versilia went from Pietrasanta to Camaiore From here the pilgrims reached Lucca the main stopping-off place south of the Apennines ... Medieval Versilia |
| | Liberty Style - The development of most bathing establishments, restaurants and cafés in Viareggio began in 1902 when the Viale Regina Margherita was inaugurated. They were built in Liberty style following the trend of the epoch using an easy-to-model material such as wood, which was suitable for building but required constant maintenance. Unfortunately a great part of the original architecture decorating ... Liberty Style |
| | Versilia and Puccini - It was probably during an excursion with his friends in Massaciuccoli that Giacomo Puccini first established the strong bond with the Lake of Massaciuccoli that was to last until his death. Due to his friendship with marquis Carlo Ginori-Lisci, who in 1887 had bought the lake and the surrounding land from Eugenio Minutoli Tegrimi, the composer moved to Torre del Lago and developed a passion for hunting ... Versilia and Puccini |
| | The Fortress - During the 18th century, the Versilia harbour town of Forte dei Marmi already renowned for its marble, experienced a great economic boom thanks to the development of an intense trading maritime activity. In this period, Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Tuscany decided to drain the surrounding marshland and to build a fortress to protect the harbour. Works began in 1786 and ended in 1788. In 1997 the Fortress was transformed into the ... The Fortress |
| | Torre Matilde - The Torre Matilde (Matilde Tower) is a three-storey building situated on the right bank of the Burlamacca canal in Viareggio Although the building of the tower has improperly been attributed to Matilda of Canossa - hence the name -, it was actually built between 1534 and 1542 in order to substitute the old defensive fortalice, that had become useless due to the withdrawal of the seafront. At first, a bell tower was added, but then it was removed, and in 1703 the clock on the façade of the "Palazzo ... Torre Matilde |
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