PIETRASANTA

The Town of Pietrasanta

The town of Pietrasanta is located the foot of the Apuan Alps, from the valley meets the sea. In the area of ??countryside  the villages of Capriglia and  Capezzano offer visitors lush green mountain landscapes that are just a few kilometers from the sandy beaches, shallow water of the marina. A few meters from the sea lies the " Versiliana park", the world-famous pine forest with its 80 hectares of greenery and its waterways is a wonder place to relax, sport and culture.

History

The old town is home to numerous monuments, including the Cathedral of San Martino in Romanesque-Gothic church suspended the cult of St. Augustine, in Romanesque style with an adjoining tower in baroque style. Next to the building you can admire the cloister, which overlooks the cultural center "Luigi Russo" characterized by the presence of a public library and art collection of sketches (sketches of the museum). The square is also the Civic Tower, or Tower of the Hours, in Gothic style in the same square is situated the Municipal Theatre.
Worthy of note is the Arrighina Rocchetta, which is located next to the arch of the Porta Pisa. Also on the square stands the Column of Marzocco (XVI century) near the fountain of the same name (XVI century), Palazzo Panichi Carli (XVI), and the monument to Leopoldo II, commonly known as Canapone. Palazzo Moroni (XVI century) houses the local archaeological museum where you will find many items dating back to the Etruscans. The city also has a network of underground tunnels, as well as works such as the strategic defensive walls visible from the square, accessible from a path that ends at the "Rocca di Sala" from which you can admire the plain of Versilia ,Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi and, on clear days, you can see some islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, the more often the Ligurian coast. Of great interest are the church of San Francesco and the oratory of St. Hyacinth.
 

Pietrasanta is a center for processing marble and bronze of international importance, a crossroads of sculptors from around the world today is considered a true city of art, with numerous galleries and exhibits great seasonal on the Duomo square ,in the Church of St. Augustine or in the Versiliana park. IIn the cloister of St. Augustine can be seen more than 600 sketches of sculptures by 350 different artists, the Museo dei Bozzetti, unique, testifies the sculptural evidence of the intense activity of this center and the presence of contemporary sculptors in Pietrasanta, or who have been still pursue their artistic activities at the local laboratories.
A tradition of centuries, linking the city to the artistic working of marble in Pietrasanta, which is in the '500. Michelangelo came to sign contracts for marble quarried from the nearby Apuan Alps; the activity of the laboratory of the marble is then added to that of art bronze foundries and workshops of the mosaic.
In addition to Michelangelo, many other famous names are linked to this area of Versilia: the poet D'Annunzio, who stayed at Versilia and was inspired by the pine forest for some of his works, the poet Carducci was born in the town of Versilia "Valdicastello" cites the atmosphere in his verses, the sculptor Igor Mitoraj resides and works in Pietrasanta and the artist Fernando Botero stays each year in Pietrasanta for  few months. Eugenio Barsanti, inventor of the internal combustion engine together with Felice Matteucci, were born in Pietrasanta.