Pietrasanta is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' on the coast of northern

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, in the

province of Lucca The province of Lucca ( it, provincia di Lucca) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lucca. It has an area of and a total population of about 390,000. There are 33 ''comuni'' (singular: ''comune'') in the pro ...

. Pietrasanta is part of

Versilia Versilia is a part of Tuscany in the north-western province of Lucca and southern part of Massa-Carrara, and is named after the Versilia river. Known for fashionable Riviera resorts, it consists of numerous clubs that are frequented by local celebr ...

, on the last foothills of the

Apuan Alps The Apuan Alps ( it, Alpi Apuane) are a mountain range in northern Tuscany, Italy. They are included between the valleys of the Serchio and Magra rivers, and, to the northwest, the Garfagnana and Lunigiana, with a total length of approximately . ...

, about north of

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

. The town is located off the coast, where the ''frazione'' of Marina di Pietrasanta is located. Estatua de Anna Chromyi- Pietrasanta

It lies on the main road and rail link from

Genova Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of Ge ...

, just north of

Viareggio Viareggio () is a city and ''comune'' in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. With a population of over 62,000, it is the second largest city within the province of Lucca, after Lucca. It is known as a seaside resort as ...

History

The town has

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

origins and part of the Roman wall still exists. The medieval town was founded in 1255 upon the pre-existing "Rocca di Sala" fortress of the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...

by Luca Guiscardo da Pietrasanta, from whom it got its name. Pietrasanta was at its height a part of the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...

(1316–1328). The town is first mentioned in 1331 in records of Genoa, when it became a part of the

Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one o ...

along with the river port of Motrone, and was held until 1430. At that time it passed back to Genoa until 1484, when it was annexed to the

Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...

held seigniory of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

. In 1494,

Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable (french: l'Affable; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father Louis XI at the age of 13.Paul Murray Kendall, ''Louis XI: The Universal Spider'' (Ne ...

took control of the town. It remained a Luccan town again until

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...

, a member of the Medici family, gave Pietrasanta back to his family. The town then became the capital of the ''Capitanato di Pietrasanta'' (Captaincy of Pietrasanta), which included all the main settlements of the historical heart of Versilia. The town suffered a long period of decline during the 17th and 18th centuries, partially due to

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

. In 1841, Grand Duke

Leopold II of Tuscany Leopold II( it, Leopoldo Giovanni Giuseppe Francesco Ferdinando Carlo, german: Leopold Johann Joseph Franz Ferdinand Karl, English: ''Leopold John Joseph Francis Ferdinand Charles''. (3 October 1797 – 29 January 1870) was Grand Duke of Tusc ...

promoted several reconstruction projects (including the building of schools specially created to teach carving skills, and the reopening of the once famous quarries).

Culture

The area, like most of Tuscany in general, has long enjoyed the patronage of artists. Pietrasanta grew to importance during the 15th century, mainly due to its connection with

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

was the first sculptor to recognize the beauty of the local stone. It has continued to attract many artists including

Fernando Botero Fernando Botero Angulo (born 19 April 1932) is a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor, born in Medellín. His signature style, also known as "Boterismo", depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political ...

Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , , ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan painter, sculptor and ceramicist born in Barcelona. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona i ...

Henry Moore Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist. He is best known for his semi- abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Moore produced ...

, and

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...

. The town is still home to over 50 marble workshops and bronze foundries.

Main sights

* Cathedral of St. Martin (

Duomo ''Duomo'' (, ) is an Italian term for a church with the features of, or having been built to serve as, a cathedral, whether or not it currently plays this role. Monza Cathedral, for example, has never been a diocesan seat and is by definition not ...

, 13th-14th centuries). * Sant'Agostino (15th century), Romanesque style former church, now seat of art exhibitions. It includes remnants of 14th-15th centuries frescoes. *The Gothic Civic Tower. *Column and Fountain of the ''Marzocco'' (16th century). *''Palazzo Panichi Carli'' (16th century). *''Palazzo Moroni'' (16th century), home to the local Archaeological Museum. *''Museo dei Bozzetti'', with over 700 sculptures by international artists *''Musa, the'' Virtual Museum of Sculpture and Architecture

Notable people

Eugenio Barsanti Father Eugenio Barsanti (12 October 1821 – 19 April 1864), also named Nicolò, was an Italian engineer, who together with Felice Matteucci of Lucca invented the first version of the internal combustion engine in 1853. Their patent request was gr ...

, together with

Felice Matteucci Felice Matteucci (February 12, 1808 – September 13, 1887) was an Italian hydraulic engineer who co-invented an internal combustion engine with Eugenio Barsanti. Their patent request was granted in London on June 12, 1854, and published in Lo ...

invented the first version of the

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combus ...

in 1853 * Ottavio Barsanti, New Zealand missionary, priest and writer born in Pietrasanta *

, Colombian painter and sculptor, lives in the commune * Julia Vance, Norwegian Sculptor, lives in the commune *

Hanneke Beaumont Hanneke Beaumont (born 1947 Maastricht, the Netherlands) is a Dutch people, Dutch sculptor known for her large scale figurative works in terracotta, bronze and cast iron. Early life and education Beaumont was born in 1947 to a large Catholic fa ...

, Dutch-born sculptor, lives in the commune *

Romano Cagnoni Romano Cagnoni (Pietrasanta, Italy, 9 November 1935 – 30 January 2018) was an Italian photographer who spent most of his professional life based in London. Biography Cagnoni used to photograph sculptures in the small town of Pietrasanta, Tu ...

, Italian photographer, was born and lived in the commune *

Giosuè Carducci Giosuè Alessandro Giuseppe Carducci (; 27 July 1835 – 16 February 1907) was an Italian poet, writer, literary critic and teacher. He was very noticeably influential, and was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy. In 1906, h ...

, poet and teacher; recipient of 1906 Nobel Prize in Literature * Carlo Carli, politician * Claude Cehes, sculptor * Christian Dalle Mura, footballer *

Corinna Dentoni Corinna Dentoni (born 30 July 1989) is an inactive Italians, Italian tennis player. On 22 June 2009, she achieved her best WTA singles ranking of 132. Her career-high in doubles is world No. 151, which she reached on 25 May 2009. Dentoni has wo ...

, tennis player *

Giulio Donati Giulio Donati (born 5 February 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for club Monza. Club career Inter Milan Primavera and first team Born in Pietrasanta, the Province of Lucca, Donati started his career at hom ...

, footballer *

Irene Fornaciari Irene Fornaciari (born 24 December 1983) is an Italian singer-songwriter. She participated in the Sanremo Festival in 2009 in the category "New Proposals" but became famous in the 2010 participating, along with Nomadi, in the category "Artists" ...

, opera singer *

Cesare Galeotti Cesare Galeotti (5 June 1872, Pietrasanta - 19 February 1929, Paris) was an Italian composer, conductor, and concert pianist. He is best known for his opera ''Anton'' which he conducted at its highly lauded premiere at La Scala on 17 February 190 ...

, composer, conductor and concert pianist was born in Pietrasanta on 5 June 1872. He was best known for his opera ''Anton and Dorisse'' * Silvia Gemignani, Olympic triathlete * Kathleen Jones, English biographer and poet, lives in the commune *

Robert Kubica Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Poles, Polish racing driver, racing and rally driver, rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW in ...

, Polish F1 driver, lives in the commune *

Massimo Mallegni Massimo Mallegni (born 28 November 1968 in Pietrasanta) is an Italians, Italian politician. He is a Senate, senator of the Italy, Republic of Italy and is a member of the Legislature XVIII of Italy. Biography Mallegni was born in Pietrasanta, ...

, Italian Senator and former Mayor of Pietrasanta * Leonardo Massoni, footballer *

Igor Mitoraj Igor Mitoraj (Polish pronunciation: ; 26 March 1944 – 6 October 2014) was a Polish artist and sculptor. Known for his fragmented sculptures of the human body often created for large-scale public installations, he is considered one of the most i ...

, Polish sculptor, lived in the commune *

David Philippaerts David Philippaerts (born 7 December 1983 in Pietrasanta) is an Italian former professional motocross racer of Italian and Belgian descent. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 2000 to 2014 before returning as a wild card in 2022. ...

, Grand Prix motocross world champion *

Diego Romanini Diego Romanini (born 30 December 1978 in Pietrasanta) is an Italian auto racing driver. He has competed in the World Touring Car Championship and was the Austria Formula 3 Cup champion in 2001 and 2003. Career After starting his career in karting ...

, race car driver *

Luca Tesconi Luca Tesconi (born January 3, 1982) is an Italian sports shooter Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged ...

, Olympic sport shooter *

Nicola Vizzoni Nicola Vizzoni (born 4 November 1973 in Pietrasanta, Province of Lucca) is a male hammer thrower from Italy. He won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and ten years later at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. His personal best t ...

, Olympic hammer thrower *

Neil Estern Neil Carl Estern (April 18, 1926 – July 11, 2019) was an American sculptor. Known for his public monuments, Estern's best-known works are his sculptures of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Fala at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Mem ...

, American Sculptor * Morten Søndergaard, Danish poet * Merete Pryds Helle, Danish author *

Jørgen Haugen Sørensen Jørgen Haugen Sørensen (3 October 1934 – 18 November 2021) was one of Denmark's most eminent sculptors. He had his artistic debut at the acclaimed and prestigiouSpring Exhibition(''Forårsudstillingen'') at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen ...

, Danish sculptor *

Kirsten Ortwed Kirsten Møller Ortwed (born 28 May 1948) is a Danish artist, now based in Cologne, Germany. She is noted for her striking sculptures in public spaces and her sometimes surprising combinations of traditional and unconventional materials. Early li ...

, Danish sculptor * Håkon Anton Fagerås, Norwegian sculptor * Daniele Taccola, Italian Doctor and Politic

Sister cities

Pietrasanta is twinned withOfficial website page
/ref> *

Écaussinnes Écaussinnes (; pcd, Les Scassenes; wa, Les Scåssenes) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2018 Écaussinnes had a total population of 11,135. The total area is 34.77 km2 which gives a p ...

, Belgium *

Grenzach-Wyhlen Grenzach-Wyhlen is a municipality in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, 7 km east of Basel, and 8 km south of Lörrach. It has borders to Inzlingen and Rheinfelden ( ...

, Germany *

Villeparisis Villeparisis () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris from the centre. Inhabitants of Villeparisis are called ''Villeparisiens''. ...

, France *

Zduńska Wola Zduńska Wola is a city in central Poland with 40,730 inhabitants (2021). It is the seat of Zduńska Wola County in the Łódź Voivodeship. The city was once one of the largest cloth, linen and cotton weaving centres in Poland and is the birthp ...

, Poland * Montgomery, USA *

Utsunomiya is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its ''gyoza'' ...

, Japan

References

External links

Official website

Pietrasanta Portal

Video Introduction to Pietrasanta
{{authority control Cities and towns in Tuscany