The region is located in northern Tuscany
between the lake of Massaciuccoli and the
Cinquale river; it's well known for its fine
sandy beaches an area of 20 km. The coastline
includes the towns of Camaiore, Forte dei Marmi,
Massarosa, Pietrasanta, Seravezza, Stazzema and
Viareggio.
The territory of
Versilia covers an area of about 160 square kilometers
in the North-Western coast. From an administrative point
of view, it is a part of the province of Lucca.
The area has always had a natural tourist vocation as
balneo-therapy treatments started here during the second
half of 19th century with the building of the first
bathing establishments.
Nowadays Versilia is not only a beautiful stretch of
coast but it also provided excellent opportunities to
spend enjoyable holidays the whole year round, thanks to
its mild climate and the wide range of entertainment and
leisure facilities available.
The area is an important base to reach major Tuscan art cities such as
Lucca, Pisa, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra,
reachable in a reasonably short time.
From a naturalistic point of view, the area is well
known for safeguarding the environment with a rich
diversified natural landscape comprising the majestic
mountains of the Apuan Alps - offering a magnificent
backdrop to the colorful coastline - consisting in some
of the highest peaks in the region. These are part of
the well-known Apuan Alps Regional Park, providing an
ideal environment for trekking, walking, cycling, horse
riding or mountain climbing.
To the South extends the Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli Regional Park
offering a wide variety of habitats, from the lush
coastal pine wood to the salty swamps and lake. Both
nature parks are ideal for people of all ages and
families and can be enjoyed the whole year round.
Furthermore, sea lovers can enrich their holidays
consisting in dolphin and whale-watching cruises to the
Cetacean Sanctuary, a water reserve located along the
Tuscan Archipelago and the northern Tyrrhenian Sea -
where these animals can be observed in their natural
habitat.
The sea: Versilia, boasts 20 km of
uninterrupted sandy shore from Torre del Lago Puccini,
stretching as far as Vittoria Apuana (Forte dei marmi)
in the north.
The sea-bathing tradition of the region dates back to
1833 when Giuseppe Giannelli, a physician involved in
medical hydrology, published the first study on the
subject entitled "Il manuale per i bagni in mare"
(Treatise on sea-bathing), qualifying Versilia as a
beach of tradition.
Construction of the original bathing establishments
began in the early 1900s with boardwalks and chalets.
Since then Versilia beaches have created a trend from
which its culture, entertainment and jet set originated.
Today Versilia is in a position to offer a wide range of
facilities ranging from affordable public beaches to
more sophisticated bathing establishments - capable to
satisfying even the most demanding requirements -
providing bars, swimming pools, restaurants and
night-clubs.
An extensive range of accommodation
facilities can also be found in the area, from camp grounds to small
family-run hotels to luxury hotels with different architectural
design and setting and equipped with all sorts of comfort.
The vegetation: the territory
encompasses a richly variety landscape, forming a
harmonic blend, from sandy coastal dunes, to extensive
luxuriant pinewoods and mediterranean macchia (brush), alternating with sections of cultivated plots of
land.
Thanks to the abundant number of waterways, the forest
of the macchia contains a great variety of trees,
including British oak, ash and black alder trees.
Of
great naturalistic value are the artificial pinewoods
planted by man, full of thick Mediterranean underbrush
and trees such as hornbeams and poplars.
The Fauna: both the coastal and inland
habitats abound in fauna. Birds who find the swamp
system of Massaciuccoli along their migratory route
enrich the natural patrimony in Versilia. A rich variety
of mammals live in both the coastal waters and inland
territories.
The pine wood: the vast pinewoods in
Versilia, partly included in the Migliarino-San
Rossore-Massaciuccoli Nature Park, were planted by man
in the 17th and 18th centuries. They consist of cluster
pine (pinus pinea), a species imported to Italy
during the roman epoch, when it was well-known above all
along the Tyrrhenian coast and in Sicily.
Its spread over vast areas is due to the fact thet every
part can be exploited: from the trunk, to obtain timber,
to the bark and resin used for dyes and chemical
products, to the seed, the pine nut. During
the 1930s the pine tree industry became extremely
important to Versilia's economy. Even if Versilia is
still today one of the largest areas for the production
of pine nut in Italy, the value of its pinewood today is
above all naturalistic.
Of these woods, perhaps the most famous one is the
Versiliana Park at Marina di Pietrasanta, which covers
approximately 80 hectares celebrated in the verses of the
poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. Today it is property of the
Pietrasanta municipality and is venue for interesting
cultural events.
History: the Human presence in Versilia
dates back to the Neolitic Age and many traces still
remain in a number of areas. Then the Apuan Ligurians
occupied the territory and fortified mountain passes and
hills. Subsequently the Etruscans left but very few
traces in the area.
When the Romans arrived, they built roads such as the
ancient Via Aurelia and colonized the area with villas,
hamlets and villages. The Lombards later occupied the
Roman settlements, providing the territory with a layout
similar to the present one.
A major development in Versilia's history was the
founding of the two principal cities: Pietrasanta in the
north and Camaiore in the southern area. Pietrasanta was
dominated by Lucca, Pisa and Genoa and finally, in 1513,
it went under control of Florence. Camaiore was instead
under the rule of Lucca.
These two cities played an
important role in the area up to 1700 but during the
following years - with its port and land reclamation
operations - Viareggio grew in importance and began to
expand until it obtained the dignity of a city.
Towards the end of the first half of the 19th century
Versilia gradually became well known as a healthful place
for sea bathing and heliotherapy treatments. This trend
turned the area into a growing holiday destination,
becoming popular among pleasure seekers as well as those
pursuing cures.
At the end of the 19th century the popularity of bathing
expanded enormously throughout the region leading the
area to the present situation.
Architecture and art: the artistic
heritage of Versilia boasts many monuments preserved in
the numerous tows and villages scattered in the
countryside. In Seravezza you can admire the
Cathedral, dating to 16th century with its
polychrome marbles as well as the 15th century baptismal
font found in the inside by the Stagio Stagi, an
architect from Pietrasanta.
Then the Medici Palace with
its impressive portal built in 1555 by Barolomeo
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 century Romanesque
Church of Santa Maria Assunta, with several precious
15th and 16th century paintings and sculptures.
The Historic town of Pietrasanta contains the main
monuments on the cathedral Square, such as the Duomo of
San Martino, built in 1330 with a magnificent marble
facade decorated by three blind arches.
On the southern
side is the Rocchetta Arrighina, a small fortress dating
to 1324, rebuilt in 1487, and connected to the Porta
a Pisa (City gate to Pisa) the only remaining gate
of the ancient city walls.
At Camaiore you can find the splendid Romanesque
Collegiate Church dating to 1278, rising on the square
dedicated to San Bernardino da Siena who preached here
in 1410.
Also remarkable is the small Church of San Michele with
a Romanesque layout as well as the Confraternity of the
SS. Sacramento housing the
Museum of Sacred Art. Finally, near the cemetery is
the impressive benedectine Abbey dating back to 11th
century.
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