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 ...

'' on the coast of northern

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

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 ...

, 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 pr ...

. 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 celeb ...

, 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 ...

. 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 ...

, 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 lett ...

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 an ...

Luca Guiscardo da Pietrasanta The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; t ...

, 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 L ...

(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 ...

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 ...

. 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'' (New ...

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 deat ...

. In 1841, Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany 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. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorpho ...

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 in ...

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

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 art, abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Mo ...

, 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 King ...

. 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 n ...

, 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 g ...

, 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 co ...

in 1853 *

Ottavio Barsanti Ottavio Barsanti (c.1826–23 May 1884) was an Italian Franciscan priest, writer, and missionary in New Zealand. He was born in Pietrasanta, Italy c.1826. References 1826 births 1884 deaths Italian Franciscans New Zealand writers ...

, New Zealand missionary, priest and writer born in Pietrasanta * Fernando Botero, 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 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 family in Maas ...

, Dutch-born sculptor, lives in the commune * Romano Cagnoni, 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, ...

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

Christian Dalle Mura Christian Dalle Mura (born 2 February 2002) is an Italian footballer who plays as a centre back for club Ternana on loan from Fiorentina. Club career Fiorentina Dalle Mura started his youth career at Juventus club in Viareggio in northern Tusc ...

, footballer * Corinna Dentoni, 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, opera singer * Cesare Galeotti, 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 Silvia Gemignani (born September 2, 1972 in Pietrasanta) is an athlete from Italy, who competes in triathlon. Gemignani competed at the first Olympic triathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She took twentieth place with a total time of 2:05:21.26 ...

, Olympic triathlete * Kathleen Jones, English biographer and poet, lives in the commune *

Robert Kubica Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and 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 Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...

, Polish F1 driver, lives in the commune * Massimo Mallegni, Italian Senator and former Mayor of Pietrasanta *

Leonardo Massoni Leonardo Massoni (born 17 February 1987) is an Italian footballer who plays for Italian club Massese. Biography Born in Pietrasanta, the Province of Lucca, Massoni started his career at Lucca team Lucchese. He spent 2 seasons loaned to Vi ...

, footballer * Igor Mitoraj, Polish sculptor, lived in the commune * David Philippaerts, 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 kar ...

, race car driver *

Luca Tesconi Luca Tesconi (born January 3, 1982) is an Italian sports shooter who won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Biography On 28 July, he won the 10m air pistol silver for Italy, in London Olympics 2012. References External links * ...

, 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 be ...

, Olympic hammer thrower * Neil Estern, American Sculptor * Morten Søndergaard, Danish poet *

Merete Pryds Helle Merete is a given name. Notable people with the given name include: *Merete Agerbak-Jensen (born 1967), Norwegian politician *Merete Ahnfeldt-Mollerup (born 1963), Danish architect, university professor and writer *Merete Alfsen (born 1950), Norwe ...

, Danish author * Jørgen Haugen Sørensen, Danish sculptor * Kirsten Ortwed, Danish sculptor *

Håkon Anton Fagerås Haakon, also spelled Håkon (in Norway), Hakon (in Denmark), Håkan (in Sweden),Oxford Dictionary of First Names Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges - 2006 "Håkon Norwegian: from the Old Norse personal name Hákon or Háukon, from hā ' ...

, Norwegian sculptor * Daniele Taccola, Italian Doctor and Politic

Sister cities

Pietrasanta is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

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, Germany * Villeparisis, 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 birt ...

, 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