Free Guide of Tuscany - Versilia Viareggio

Versilia is in the Tuscan province of Lucca. It covers the area between the slopes of the Apuan Alps to the Parco Naturale Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli and includes the Tyrhennian coastline from Forte dei Marmi to Viareggio.
The Versilian coastline is characterised by long beaches with extremely fine sand, facing the Tyrhennian Sea.  Some stretches of beach contain fascinating coastal dunes, like for example those between Viareggio and Torre del Lago.
Ever since the 1800's, Versilia has been a favourite holiday destination for Italians, and historically enjoyed a particular popularity with writers, poets, journalists, intellectuals and artists. Even now, many of the country's VIPs could never dream of summer life without the refined Forte dei Marmi scene. The great composer Giacomo Puccini lived and worked in Torre del Lago, just 6 km inland from Viareggio on the shores of Lake Massaciùccoli. Gabriele d’Annunzio had a villa in Marina di Pietrasanta, where he wrote one of his most famous lyrical poems, “La pioggia nel pineto”. The 19th century poet Giosué Carducci was born in the small inland town of Valdicastello, where his original modest home has been turned into a museum.
What to See
Versilia has a rich variety of attractions to make a holiday here an enjoyable and cultured experience, ranging from its natural resources to its vast wealth of artistic treasures.
Versilia's coastline is one of the most traditional, elegant and long-standing seaside holiday areas in Italy and owes its splendid appearance to luscious vegetation and fresh pinewoods which provide the backdrop to marvelous sandy beaches.
The most famous pinewood is the Parco della Versiliana, located in Marina di Pietrasanta, near the small town of Fiumetto. It covers an area of 80 hectares with a dense forest of centuries-old evergreens; in the middle of the park stands the 19th-century villa of the Marquis Ginori Lisci, one of the first buildings along this stretch of coastline, behind which you can see the pine seed factory, open until 1960 and now under conservation. The villa is now public property and is used to host exhibitions and cultural meetings, thereby continuing the long-standing tradition that has always made Versilia the favourite haunt for Italian intellectuals on holiday. It should come as no surprise that one of the most authoritative Italian literary prizes is awarded here: the Viareggio.
Among Versilia's most important holiday spots are the chic and exclusive Forte dei Marmi, the port of Viareggio with its beaches, excellent facilities, harbour and docks, and last but not least are Marina di Pietrasanta and Lido di Camaiore.
Forte dei Marmi has always been a symbol of refinement and fashionable society life, with its luxury villas surrounded by greenery, its charming town centre encircling the remains of the fortress and the famous restaurants and clubs, all of which have left their indelible mark on Italian social history.
Very little remains today of what gave this town its name, that is the fortress built in 1788 by the Archduke Leopoldo I (who recovered the surrounding land) and the port where the marble coming from the inland quarries was loaded onto ships for export. Ever since the 1800's, when it was discovered, this little haven has been loved by European artists and intellectuals and has enjoyed a lively cultural life that centres around literary gatherings and the famous International Festival of Satire, which has its own Museum, housed in the old fortress.
Versilia is the ideal place for a fashionable holiday, where relaxation and society life marry perfectly: beaches, fashionable cocktail bars, discos, excellent restaurants and museums...all the resorts have bathing establishments renowned for their elegance but also boast every kind of sports and leisure-time facilities.
Versilia, however, is not just the seaside: it is also the peace and quiet of woodland pathways, the purity of its chestnut woods, the serenity of the green hills and the smell of the olive trees surrounding the area.
You can enjoy a visit to the nearby caves (including the Corchia cave, the most important karst cavern in Europe, and the Grotta del Vento) and to the beautiful tranquility of Lake Massaciuccoli, an ideal place for birdwatching, located inside a vast Nature Park with the Migliarino shrubland and the San Rossore estate. The best way to enjoy Versilia is by bike, or for those who love adventure sports, hang-gliding, para-gliding or trekking.
Culture: Valdicastello is near Pietrasanta on the way to Lucca, where you can visit the birthplace of Giosuè Carducci.  Just 6 km from Viareggio is Torre del Lago, where the composer Giacomo Puccini lived from 1891 to his death and found inspiration for composing his lyrical works. Today you can visit his tomb and villa, now turned into a museum. The Festival Pucciniano takes place here in summer inside the amphitheater on the banks of the lake, just opposite the former home of the great composer.
Entertainment: the fun in Versilia lasts all night and especially during the summer it attracts tourists from all over Europe with its fashionable haunts.
In winter, you cannot miss the Carnevale di Viareggio, whose parades and celebrations last four weeks and close with a fantastic fireworks display which attracts millions of visitors every year from all over the world. The unceasing work of the craftsmen who build the Carnevale's traditional floats can be seen first-hand by visiting the workshop-hangar to the north of town.

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