DAY 1:SAN MINIATO

                  
 

DAY1:SAN MINIATO

Arrival at Pisa Airport. A coach will take you to the lovely Ostello San Miniato  in San Miniato, a town located on three hills in the heart of Tuscany.

The town is situated at the intersection of the streets that join Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Siena and the famous Via Francigena, which was the main connecting route between Northern Europe and Rome in the Middle Ages. The landscape is enchanting with old boroughs, ancient churches, amazing Medici villas, castles and tobacco mills.

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Our walking tour starts with Grifoni Palace. This Renaissance Palace was built by Giuliano of Baccio d’Agnolo for Ugolino Grifoni, Secretary of the Grand Duke Cosimo I of the Medici Family, in 1555. The building was destroyed during the Second World War, later it was restored and regained its original splendour.

Now it is the headquarters of  Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di San Miniato.

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We can continue our tour towards Piazza del Popolo with its Church of the Saints Jacopo and Lucia, also called San Domenico’s Church, with its adjacent Cloisters of the Convent. This church dates back to 1330 so it is very old, as we can see from its façade.

Inside the church we can admire some works of art such as Giovanni Chellini’s tomb, attributed to Bernardo Rossellino, a fresco depicting “Scenes from San Domenico’s Life” by Antonio Domenico Bamberini, “The Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus and the Saints Cosmas, Damian, John the Evangelist and Thomas” by Domenico di Michelino and “The Deposition” by Francesco Morandini called “Il  Poppi” .

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Next to the church we can admire the amazing Via Angelica, which is an ancient path that runs along the right wall of the Church of the Saints Jacopo and Lucia. In the past it was the connecting route between the town and the countryside. Along this ancient path there are three chapels decorated with 14th-century frescoes and 18th-century decorations.In one of these chapels, Saint Urban’s Oratory, we can see frescoes depicting “Scenes from the Way of the Cross” and “Saint Urban Pope”.3

The MuMe is worth a visit. This museum was created to preserve the memory of the Second World War.

The museum contains war relics, vintage posters and documents of the people from San Miniato who lived the dramatic years of  the Second World War.

We next visit the Archconfraternity of Mercy in Roffia Palace , which contains devotional objects connected with the role of this important institution such as a 19th-century horse-drawn ambulance, 18th- century lanterns and some splendid paintings.

Our tour continues towards Piazza del Seminario, where we can admire the Palace of the Seminary. The square has an asymmetric shape. The palace dates back to 1713 and it is characterized by its concave façade decorated with 18th-century frescoes and phrases in Latin.In the Middle Ages there were houses and shops whose wooden doors can still be seen. On the other side of the square we can see the rear façade of the Bishop’s Palace.

We next the  head for Piazza dl Duomo, where we can admire the Cathedral, which is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta and San Genesio. It was built in the 12th century and has a beautiful Romanesque façade, which also exhibits Gothic and Renaissance architectural elements.

The Church has a Latin cross plan with three naves and houses many works of art such as a 17th-century wooden crucifix by Iacopo di Giuliano Sani, Giovanni Battista Sandrini’s baptismal font, four marble busts of famous men from San Miniato: Iacopo Buonaparte, Pietro Bagnoli, Giovacchino Taddei and Francesco Maria Poggi and frescoes by Antonio Domenico Bamberini and Francesco Lanfranchi.

  Its Bell Tower, called Matilde Tower, has an asymmetrical clock and dates back to the 12th century. Its name refers to the Countess Matilde of Canossa,who was probably born in San Miniato.

Next to the Cathedral there is the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art housing paintings by famous artists such as Iacopo Chimenti called “L’Empoli”, Francesco Morandini called “Il Poppi”, Lorenzo Lippi, Giovanni Bilivert, Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni,  Neri di Bicci, Iacopo di Mino del Pellicciaio and Lorenzo Monaco.

In Piazza del Duomo we can also admire the Bishop’s Palace, which is the residence of the Bishop of San Miniato and features a chapel dedicated to the Assumption and St. John the Baptist, the Imperial Vicars’ Palace,dating back to the 12th century, and its Tower, which was used as a prison.

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2Leaving Piazza del Duomo behind us, we head off to the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Crucifix. This Baroque church, which stands between the Fort, the Cathedral and the Town Hall, was built in the 18th century. While the decoration of the façade is very simple, the walls inside the church are completely painted with “Scenes from Jesus Christ’s Life” by Antonio Domenico Bamberini. On the main altar there is a tabernacle containing the famous “Holy Crucifix”, which is venerated and thought to be miraculous.

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????????????????????????????????????In front of the Sanctuary there is the Town Hall, which was built at the end of the 13th century. Inside we can admire two beautiful rooms decorated with the 14th and 16th- century amazing frescoes: La Sala delle Sette Virtù and La Sala Consiliare.

The frescoes in La Sala delle Sette Virtù were painted between the 14th and the 16th centuries. The most important fresco is the “Virgin Mary nursing her Child surrounded by the Theological and Cardinal Virtues”, attributed to Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni. In the middle of the painting, you can see the Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus. Around her there are some female figures, who are symbols of the Seven Virtues. “Justice” is holding a sword in her right hand and scales in her left hand; “Prudence” is pointing to a mirror with her right hand; “Temperance” is holding a phial of wine mixed up with water in her right hand; “Fortitude” is holding a sword and is wearing a helmet; “Hope” is praying; “Charity” has got a flame in her right hand and a piece of paper in her left hand and “Faith” has a cross on her left shoulder.

“La Sala Consiliare” is situated next to the “Sala delle Sette Virtù” and it contains Francesco Maria Galli Angelini’s famous frescoes depicting the history of San Miniato during the Middle Ages.

In one of these frescoes we can see a knight riding a horse and holding a sword in his right hand. On the right there is a parchment and on the left there is the knight’s Coat of Arms. Next to this fresco, we can see a man holding a green book in his left hand and a quill in his right hand. He is wearing a red robe and a red hat.

In the corner there is his family’s Coat of Arms. In another fresco we can see the Virgin Mary talking to San Miniato, San Genesio, Sant’Agostino and San Francesco. The room is decorated with frescoes depicting the Coats of Arms of famous Noble Families from San Miniato and famous leaders such as Franco Sacchetti, Francesco Sforza and Barone de’ Mangiadori .

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Don’t miss the visit to the Oratory of Loretino, whicb was built inside the Town Hall as the governor’s private chapel at the end of the 13th century. It became an important place of worship in the 14th century when the Most Holy Crucifix was placed there.

According to a legend, the simulacrum was brought to San Miniato by two mysterious travellers, who were probably two angels. They left it in the house of a poor widow. It was closed up in a case and it emanated an “arcane” light at night. It became a symbol of peace and love.

The veneration of the Holy Crucifix increased between 1629 and 1631 when the Bubonic Plague spread in Italy. A church was built in honour of the Holy Crucifix, which was placed in the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Crucifix.

The Oratory contains decorations by Francesco Lanfranchi called “Spillo”, a magnificent altar attributed to Noferi di Antonio di Noferi and a wooden statue of the “Madonna di Loreto”, which gives the chapel its present name. The walls are decorated with 14th-century frescoes illustrating “Episodes from Jesus Christ’s Life”.

During our walking tour we stop at Retrobottega for lunch. Here you can taste typical Tuscan food created by the famous butcher Sergio Falaschi and his staff by using high-quality local products and enjoy a wonderful view of the countryside.

We suggest you have “crostini” and a selection of “salumi” (cold cuts) such as “soprassata”, ham, “rigatino”, “finocchiona”, “spuma di gota”,  “mallegato”, pasta with sausage and leek sauce, “pappa al pomodoro”, Fiorentina steak with grated truffles and “cantuccini” with “Vinsanto”.  

After lunch we head off to the Tower of Frederick II, called the Fort, which is a 37-metre tall tower, built by Frederick II of Swabia in 1217. It was the central core of the Imperial defensive system. It is the landmark of the town.

The tower was destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt in 1958. From its top you can admire the special ribbon-like layout of the town and stunning landscapes such as the area of the Lower Valdarno, Volterra’s hills, the Apennines and the sea.

 The tower was destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt in 1958.From its top you can admire the special ribbon-like layout of the town and stunning landscapes such as the area of the Lower Valdarno, Volterra’s hills, the Apennines and the sea. Pier delle Vigne, Frederick II’s Chancellor, was imprisoned here for treason until his death, as Dante writes in “Inferno”(13th “Canto”) in his “Divine Comedy”.

Leaving the Fort behind us, we reach the 14th-century Convent and Church of Saint Francis. Saint Francis stayed in San Miniato for a short time and founded this convent. For many centuries it was one of the main Franciscan centres in Tuscany.

Inside the church there are twelve altars dedicated to Franciscan saints and famous families from San Miniato such as the Buonaparte family, 16th and 17th-century paintings and frescoes depicting Saint Francis and other Franciscan saints, Saint Francis’s statue by Luca and Piero Bonicelli and a 16th-century wooden crucifix.

We next head to Piazza Buonaparte, flanked by ancient palaces built by noble families from San Miniato between the 16th and the 18th centuries. In this square we can admire a marble monument dedicated to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopoldo II also called Canapone, Palazzo Bonaparte and the Saints Sebastian and Rocco’s Church, which was the Bonaparte family ’s chapel and houses Saint Rocco’s relics and a Gothic water soup.

Our walking tour continues towards Piazza XX Settembre, where you can visit Santa Caterina’s Church dating back to the 13th century and the Euteleti Academy, which is housed in Palazzo Migliorati and contains Napoleon Bonaparte’s funeral mask and ancient documents.

Leaving this square we head for Piazza Dante Alighieri, also called “Il Piazzale”, where San Miniato’ s market is held on Tuesday mornings. Here you can see Giosue’ Carducci’s Statue. Giosue’ Carducci was a famous Italian writer, who lived in San Miniato from 1856 to 1857.

We next head off to Palazzo Formichini. The palace was built in the 16th century and contains works of art by famous artists such as Benedetto Bigordi called “Il Ghirlandaio”, Ludovico Cardi called “Il Cigoli”, Iacopo Chimenti called “L’ Empoli” and Giovanni Bilivert.

Our tour proceeds along via Giosue’ Carducci, where you can visit The Most Holy Annunziata’s Church, containing  Saint Augustine’s statue, Saint Dorothea ’s relics and some frescoes .

From here it is easy to reach the Conservatory of Santa Chiara. The Monastery of Santa Chiara was built in the 13th century but the present building dates back to the 14th century. The nuns of Saint Clare’s order stayed there until the end of the 18th century when it was transformed into a Conservatory for girls’ education. Later it became a school premises.

The building is arranged around a cloister with arcades and it has a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. The Conservatory houses “Noli me Tangere”, a wonderful painting by Ludovico Cardi, on which the appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene is represented. There are also paintings by Jacopo Chimenti and Antonio Domenico Bamberini and a magnificent Medieval cross painted by Deodato Orlandi in 1301.

 

We leave your enjoy your afternoon at leisure. We suggest you have a walk along the famous Via Francigena , which runs through the town centre and touches small villages in the countryside. The landscape is enchanting with tobacco mills, old boroughs, amazing Medici villas and ancient churches.

     

If you are interested in ancient history, you can visit San Genesio’s Archaeological Site. The site was considered one of the main stops along the Via Francigena, which  was the  pilgrimage route  from Canterbury to Rome in the Middle Ages.

We suggest you have dinner at Pizzeria Vecchio Cinema, located in the town centre. Your hostel offers you the chance to have a meal here at a very special price just showing the hostel card.

You can choose two dishes from the menu, which consists of “bruschetta”,  a wide selection of  saumi” (cold cuts) and ham or chickpea soup, “pappa al pomodoro”, pasta with pesto sauce or spaghetti with tomato sauce, chicken stew with beans or pizza and a bottle of water or a soft drink.

If you want to taste high-quality meat, you can have dinner at La Bisteccheria,  a nice restaurant where you can have a large variety of starters such as “crostini” and a wide selection of  salami” (cold cuts), “tagliata” or Florentine steak with roast potatoes and “cantuccini” with “vinsanto”.

After dinner you can stop at Caffè Centrale, where you can listen to music and play board games with friends or at the lovely Chalet, which is a pleasant open-air meeting place. Here you can chat with friends and listen to music, sitting at the tables located in front of the kiosk.

 

If you love music you can go to Le Piscine , where you can dance at the poolside. The disco opens at about 12.00 p.m. and closes at about 3.00 a.m.

In summer San Miniato attracts lots of young people and tourists as a great variety of events are organized in the town centre in the evening .The main  events are La Notte Nera, La Luna è Azzurra, Prima del Teatro, A Castle of Sounds, Francigena Melody Road,Pinocchio in Strada and Meravigliosa Francigena .

   

Overnight stay at  Ostello San Miniato .

 

A WALKING TOUR IN VERSILIA

A WALKING TOUR IN VERSILIA

Versilia is a well-known area of natural and international appeal and a popular holiday destination located on the northern coast of Tuscany, between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apuane Alps .The area comprises famous seaside resorts, such as Torre del Lago, Viareggio,Marina di PietrasantaPietrasanta and Forte dei Marmi.

Our coach tour starts in Torre del Lago, a small town located between Viareggio and Lucca. It became famous in the early 1900s due to the presence of the composer, Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), who was born in Lucca and lived in a lovely villa on the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli. Giacomo Puccini, who is buried in the Chapel of his villa, composed his most famous works, such as “Manon Lescaut “(1891), “La Bohème” (1896), “Tosca” (1900) “Madama Butterfly” (1904),” La Fanciulla del West” (1910),” La Rondine” (1917)  and “Il Trittico” (1918) in Torre del Lago.

 

The house, now known as Puccini Museum, is furnished in Art Nouveau style and contains musical and hunting mementos of the famous composer. Nowadays the house belongs to Simonetta Puccini, Giacomo Puccini’s only descendant.The statue in the small square overlooking the wonderful lake is dedicated to the composer.

Near the lake there is an open-air theatre where a festival, known as Puccini Festival, is held every summer. The festival hosts some of the most famous opera companies in the world, creating an unforgettable experience in the Tuscan countryside.

Leaving Torre del Lago , we head for Viareggio, a very popular  seaside resort in Versilia. The city, situated between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apuane Alps, is famous for its fishing port and long, sandy beaches.

Viareggio became famous in the 18th century when rich and noble families chose this seaside resort for their summer holidays. In the 19th century Paolina Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister, and Maria Luisa di Borbone bought their summer residences here.The first bathing establishments, Bagno Nereo and Bagno Dori ,were opened in 1828;while Bagno Balena and Bagno Nettuno were opened at the end of the 19th century.In Viareggio there is a charming promenade, Viale Regina Margherita, lined with exclusive and elegant shops, cafés,restaurants, bathing establishments ,which date back to the first half of the 20th century, and Art Nouveau buildings, such as Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte, Gran Caffe’ Margherita, Teatro Margherita , Palazzo delle Muse and Bagno Balena.

Palazzo delle Muse dates back to the 19th century and is located in Piazza Mazzini. It houses the Civic Archeological Museum and the GAMC, Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, which is an exhibition area of 1,500 square metres , inaugurated by Lorenzo Viani in 2008,containing modern and contemporary paintings and sculptures by famous artists such as Moses Levy and Umberto Bonetti.

Walking down the promenade you reach the port featuring many shipyards where boats and ships are built and then exported all over the world. It was inaugurated by King Vittorio Emanuele III in 1913.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From here it is easy to reach  Matilde Tower, an example of architecture, built for the defence of the port in 1541. Its name comes from Matilde of Canossa  because it was believed the countess ,who lived  in Viareggio in the 12th century, had built it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viareggio is famous for its Pineta di Ponente and Pineta di Levante dating back to the 18th century; here you can find recreational areas, bike paths, sports facilities, as well as footpaths and lanes. In summer you can hire bikes and go cycling through the lovely paths of the pinewood.

Viareggio is also famous for its Carnival, which takes place in February every year. Huge floats parade along the promenade. The Carnival celebrations with masked pageants, fireworks, parades and music are very famous in Italy and attract many tourists.

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The allegorical floats, which are  made in “papier-mâché”  and parade along Viareggio promenade ,are inspired by Italian and international politics and other current events .Viareggio Carnival dates back to 1873, when a group of young men sitting around the tables of “Caffè del Casinò” had the idea of organizing a parade. They asked the best artisans and sculptors to build astonishing carriages and soon it was a popular event, a  moment of joy in the city during the glorious days of the “Belle Époque” in Europe. Then World War I broke out and there was an interruption of the event until 1921 when Viareggio parade returned even more beautiful than before.In 2001 the new Cittadella del Carnevale was inaugurated; it is a great structure where floats are created. Since 2002 Viareggio Carnival has been named Italian and European Carnival.The symbol of Carnival is Burlamacco. Its name comes from the Burlamacca Canal that flows through Viareggio.

We next head off to Marina di Pietrasanta, which is a lovely area divided into four charming seaside resorts: Focette, Motrone, Tonfano and Fiumetto, each with its own picturesque centre. This area attracts lots of tourists in summer thanks to its long, sandy beaches, bathing establishments, elegant tree-lined avenues, lovely promenades ,shady pine woods, sports facilities, luxury hotels, wonderful villas, restaurants , cafés, pubs and
discos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Marina di Pietrasanta you can visit La Versiliana, a  famous public park , surrounded by a huge pinewood, where Gabriele D’Annunzio‘s villa is located. La Versiliana Festival is held here every summer. It offers tourists a large variety of plays, ballets and concerts in its open–air theatre. La Versiliana is also famous for the meetings at Il Caffe’della Versiliana , where famous artists and politicians express their opinions about literature , culture ,art, society and politics.

From here it is easy to reach Pietrasanta ,the most important historical city in Versilia, located between Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi and nestled between the Apuane Alps and the Tyrrhenian Sea.

 

Pietrasanta developed near the famous Via Francigena on a castrum plan and it was founded by Guiscardo  Pietrasanta, Podesta’ of Lucca, in 1255.

It is often called “the City of the Artists “ or “Small Athens” for its excellent cultural and artistic heritage, marble works of art, marble and bronze foundries and workshops.Many artists live or visit this city every year; even Michelangelo visited it and appreciated its marble and the local artisans’ works of art.

The city is famous for its International Park of Contemporay Sculpture, which offers an open-air exhibition of contemporary and modern works of art set in the public spaces of the historical centre .

People who wish to cycle to Pietrasanta can get there thanks to the lovely Viale Apua,  which  is flanked by the  pinewood and links Marina di Pietrasanta, and in particular Fiumetto, to this city .You can reach it also by car or by coach.

Our walking tour starts in Piazza Carducci,where Porta a PisaRocchetta Arrighina  is located.

Porta a Pisa is the most picturesque access to the historical centre. This gate was built in the 15th century and remodelled during the Renaissance. It preserves a 16th- century chalk sketch, “Annunciation” by Astolfo Petrazzi.

In this square you can see Propulsione (2003), a bronze sculpture by Franco Miozzo, and Arlecchino (2011), a bronze sculpture by Joseph Sheppard.

From here you can also see Myomu-Chiave del Sogno (2004),a white marble sculpture by Kan Yasuda, located in Piazza Stazione.

Near the gate there is Piazza Giordano Bruno, where you can admire Giordano Bruno ‘s  marble bust by Antonio Bozzano and  Il Cavalletto (2006), a bronze sculpture by Romano Cosci.

We next head off to Piazza del Duomo, where you can admire St. Martin’s Cathedral with its Bell Tower.

The Cathedral dominates the centre of this rectangular square. It was built in the 14th century on the site of the ancient Church of St. Martin. Its marble faҫade with three portals is adorned with a beautiful rose window, some bas-reliefs and coats of arms of the city’s rulers.

Inside there is a nave with two aisles divided by columns. You can admire 19th-century frescoes by Luigi Ademollo , the marble holy water  stoup by the sculptor Stagio Stagi, the 16th-century pulpit by Lorenzo Stagi and two wonderful paintings “La Madonna del Rosario” by Matteo Rosselli and “La Nativita’ ” by Piero Dandini. You can also visit “the Chapel of the Virgin”, where you can admire a late Gothic painting , “La Madonna del Sole” – “the Virgin with Child and Saints John the Baptist and John the Apostole” by an unknown 15th- century painter.

Next to the Cathedral  there is the Bell Tower ,a 15th-16th -century building by Donato Benti. It is about 36 metres tall and contains a helicoidal  staircase.

  The Baptistery ,which  is located near the Cathedral, dates back to the 17th century and contains two magnificent baptismal fonts by the sculptors Donato Benti , Nicolao di Matteo Civitali, Filippo Pelliccia and Orazio Bergamini .

In Piazza del Duomo you can also admire the Clock Tower , which was built in the 16th century and restored in 1860. It is in the German Gothic style.

From here it is easy to reach Palazzo Moroni and “Bruno Antonucci” Versilia Archeological  Museum. The Palace  dates back to the 17th century and it was Pietrasanta City Hall till the 1940s.

This building contains many Etruscan, Roman and Medieval objects and documents and a collection of Renaissance ceramics.

After the visit to this building we head off to the Church and the Convent of St . Augustine.  The Church , which was built  by the Augustinian monks in the 14th century ,has a marble faҫade with three round arches and a Gothic loggia. It is in  the Romanesque style and it houses beautiful 14th-century and 15th-century frescoes. Inside you can see  the tomb inscriptions of noble families from Pietrasanta on the floor and Padre Eugenio Barsanti ’s cenotaph . The church has a single nave and a fine trussed timber roof.

The Convent was completed in the 15th century . You can see lunettes with episodes from the life of  St. Augustine by Astolfo Petrazzi from Siena in its lovely loggia.

The complex now houses “Luigi Russo” Cultural Centre, ”Giosue’ Carducci” Civic Library and “ “Pierluigi Gherardi” Museo dei Bozzetti (The Museum of Sketches)  containing  models and sketches by Henri Georges Adam, André Bloc, Fernando Botero, Antonio Bozzano, , César, Pietro Consagra, Niki De Saint Phalle,  Jean Robert Ipousteguy, Igor Mitoraj, Costantino Nivola, Isamu Nogui, Alicia Penalba, Beverly Pepper, Gio’ Pomodoro, Edoardo Rubino,  Ivan Theimer,  Leone Tommasi, Kan Yasuda and many others.

In Piazza del Duomo you can also see other buildings such as Palazzo Pretorio housing The Civic Theatre and Palazzo Panichi Carli, where Padre Eugenio Barsanti Museum is located.

You can also  admire  the Liberty Column or Marzocco,  a 16th- century  column by Donato Benti with its Marzocco Lion, heraldic symbol of the Florentine dominion and the 19th-century Monument to Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, by Vincenzo Santini. Near the column you can see a fountain created in the 17th  century by the sculptor Giovanni Battista Stagi.

In Piazza del Duomo you can also see plaques, which witness Michelangelo’s visits to Pietrasanta and the contract signed by the artist for the marble he needed for the faҫade of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence. You can also admire Royal Ancestors ,a sculpture by Dashi Namdakov, placed here in December 2013.

From this square, you can see the ancient Rocca di Sala and Palazzo Guinigi, which are located on top of a hill behind the city centre .The Rocca was a  Lombard fortress ,which was later connected to the city walls. Palazzo Gunigi was built by Paolo Guinigi in the 14th century. From here you can get a splendid view of Pietrasanta.

You can also pay a visit to the Church of St. Anthony and St. Blaise (The Church of the Divine Mercy) in Via  Mazzini. This is the oldest church in Pietrasanta. Inside the church you can admire the statue of  St. Anthony ,the statue of St. Blaise, attributed to Jacopo della Quercia, and the 1993 frescoes “La Porta del Paradiso “ and” La Porta dell’Inferno” by  Fernando Botero .

 

 

Walking down Via del Marzocco or Via Mazzini, two lovely streets lined with ancient buildings, art galleries, wineries, cafès, restaurants and exclusive shops, we reach Piazza dello Statuto, used as a football field in the 1800s, and Piazza Matteotti, where the Town Hall is located.

 

In Piazza dell Statuto there are three bronze sculptures: San Giovanni by Rosario Murabito ,Il Cavallino,by Ferruccio Vezzoni and Danzatore by Anna Cromy and a Carrara white marble sculpture :Il Cerchio del Vento by Junkyu Muto.

In Piazza Matteotti you can admire two white marble sculptures : Memoria di Pietrasanta by Pietro Cascella and San Martino by Franco Miozzo, and two bronze sculptures : Il Guerriero by Fernando Botero and L’Eredita’ by Stanley Bleifeld.

 

Before you leave the city you can also visit the Church of San Nicola di Sala ,located near the cathedral, and the 16th- century Church and Convent of  St. Francis. Inside you can admire paintings and frescoes by Luigi Ademollo.

The Convent houses The Visual Arts Centre Foundation of Pietrasanta. In front of the Church there is San Francesco, a bronze sculpture by Harry Marinsky.

While wandering through the cobbled streets of this Medieval city you can admire a lot of  marble sculptures such as Il Viandante  and Riflessione by Michele Benedetto, Senza Titolo by Tadensz Koper, L’Oiseau by Jean Michel Folon, Serenata by Rinaldo Bigi, Il Pugilatore by Francesco Messina  and bronze sculptures such as La Campagna va al Mercato by Marcello Tommasi , Il Centauro by Igor Mitoraj ,Monumento al Soldato and Alleato by Marcello Tommasi.

We next visit the MuSA, Museo Virtuale della Scultura e Architettura di Pietrasanta (Virtual Museum of Sculpture and Architecture in Pietrasanta) ,which offers visitors spectacular and interactive presentations of the artistic, cultural, craft and industrial panorama of the local area.

Leaving  Pietrasanta we head for Forte dei Marmi, which was built by Archduke Leopold I in 1788 and  is one of the most elegant seaside resorts in Versilia. It is famous for its wonderful pier , lovely bathing establishments, exclusive shops, luxury villas, expensive hotels, charming restaurants, discos and pubs. Today the area is a popular destination for businessmen, managers, politicians, show-men, movie and sports stars such as Zucchero, Bocelli, Panatta, Totti, Armani  and many others.