Marina of Pietrasanta

In medieval epoch, that line of coast was characterized by a series of absorbed marshes in a thick brushwood of lecci and called ontani "Macchia of Marina", mainly used for taliare the necessary lumber for the feeding of the ovens, of the foundries of the "Magona of the iron" of Pietrasanta. The Magona (commercial company or foundry) of Pietrasanta, among the first ones in in operation Tuscany already around 1450, initially she was managed by the Genoese company of the Spinola, that in 1489 the cedettero to a company lucchese, for then to subsequently end in hand of the Medici. In 1770 the stain was divided in so many piece of ground that had put in sale and to reclaim they were dug it some channels, among which "the ditch of Fiumetto", to pick up the waters of the situated swamps to north of Strong of the Marbles and to carry her in the mouth of the fiume Tofano, in 1800 it began a work of reforestation of the "Marina" planting some pines, that went to form some pinetes during the years, at the end of 1800 they began to be born inside the pinetes the first houses and villas, among the most famous it is to remember "Villa Versiliana" built in 1886 by the Accounts Digerini Nuti, the name was given her by Renato Fucini (author of the Vigils of Blacks), one of the first guests of the Accounts, the villa to the beginning of 900 also entertained Gabriele D'Annunzio. To these first villas they added others and in that line of coast they also began the first commercial activities that will transform the ancient one "Macchia di Marina", in the actual Marina of Pietrasanta, bathing center among the most famous of Italy. The church of "Marina of Pietrasanta" belonging to the Diocese in Pisa, she was built in modern times (1930) and it was later consecrate two years at the archbishop Gabriele Vettori.   Photo Marina of Pietrasanta   Church of S.Antonio da Padova  n°1 - n°2 - n°3 - n°4 Country  n°1 - n°2 - n°3 - n°4 - n°5 - n°6 - n°7 - n°8 - n°9 - n°10 - n°11              The Prince's bridge  n°1 - n°2

The ancient seaport of Motrone

Along the Marina of Pietrasanta to the mouth of the Versilia (the ancient river "Sala"), around Thousand it was born, the ancient seaport of Lucca, that will be to the center of numerous wars among Lucca, Pisa, Florence and Genoa for 5 centuries.  The first news, that confirms its existence goes up again to a 1081 document, in which Arrigo IV grants the I bring and its fortitude dictates "Temple of Ercole" to the lucchesi, concession that since the beginning it won't come well seen from Pisa,desiderosa to deprive Lucca and its commerce of a seaport.  In 1159 the lucchesis to defend the seaport replaced the old wood tower, with a new fortitude in stone, the irritated pisani for its construction immediately turned him to the emperor Federico Barbarossa, that April 2 nd 1162 ordered the destruction of it, Lucca it befriends of Genoa challenging the imperial authority it ignored later the order and four years, Genova in exchange for some stores of the I bring of Motrone, they contributed to the completion of the fortitude and the construction of a new castle in the place Filettole.  In November of 1170, pisa helped Veltro from Corvaia rebelled him to Lucca and assaulted the castle of Motrone, after three days of hard battle the castle surrendered him, the pisani in full euphoria for the brought victory destroyed completely the fortitude, but well soon they realized to have committed an error, the Government of Pisa for fear that the lucchesi and its allies they could regain the seaport by now deprived by its defenses, it ordered the immediate reconstruction.  In the 1268 graces to King Carlo of Angiò, that the lucchesi opportunely named his Podestà and to the Florentine victory on the pisani gotten in Val of Serchio in 1256, later almost one century Motrone returned under the insignias lucchesi and will remain you up to 1314, on June 14 the pisano Uguccione of the Faggiola, helped by some heads Ghibellini lucchesi among which Castruccio Castracane, it attacked and it conquered the castle but his friend Castruccio it betrayed and he forced him to the escape from Lucca and from his earths, Motrone in 1317 he returns dominion of Lucca.  After the death of Castruccio Castracane, Lucca was found haggled from Florentines and pisani and after some stories Motrone and Lucca they again returned under the dominion in Pisa, this "Babylonian servitude" as the lucchesi they defined it, finished April 8 th 1369, when Charles IV of received Boemia a remuneration of over centomila gold florins, returned the liberty to Lucca that took back him its earths.  To Lucca at the end of the government of Paul Guinigi, in the 1430 Lucca to get a loan from the Genoeses, Lucca he has been forced to surrender in Genoa the I bring of Motrone and her castle, Genoa governed the seaport, up to when she will be defeated by the army of Florence in 1437, Lucca will succeed in regaining Motrone for the last time in 1501, then September 10 th 1513 the mediation of Pope Leone X, will grant Motrone to Florence.  The works of reclamation of the swamps of the Versilia effected in the XVII century, next to Motrone they brought to the deviations of many channels and the low backdrops of the I bring they began to put in difficulty the merchant traffic, marking the beginning of the decline of the I bring, that will culminate in 1813 with the destruction of the fortitude to work of the soldiers English.

The tower Medicea of "Jump to the Cervia"

Along the street Francigena after Thousand, for his/her defense and for his/her control, different fortifications were built you, one of these mail, near the lake of Door Beltrame and of the homonym fortification (already mentioned in 1055 as customs of the church S.Maria of Door), you was built on the border among the earths lucchesi and Genoese, to the feet of the called cliff "Jump of the Cervia."  In 1484, the Florentines commanded by Lorenzo of the Medici declared war with around 7000 infantrymen to Genoa, attested to Pietrasanta and in the near earths, the fortitude (or bastia) of Jump of the Cervia was found to the center of the battle, the two armies after bloody assaults, more than once they alternated him to its command (in one of these the Count Anthony perished from they March, Florentine commander).  Nel XVI secolo con il definitivo insediamento in Versilia dei Fiorentini, il Forte fu ricostruito e rafforzato, i lavori della nuova fortificazione a tre piani accessibile grazie ad un ponte levatoio, iniziarono nel 1568 con il Granduca Cosimo dei Medici e furono terminati dopo circa venti anni da suo figlio Ferdinando I.   Photo tower Medicea of "Jump to the Cervia"   n°1 - n°2 - n°3 - n°4 - n°5

Solaio and Vitoio

Not too far Vallecchia two small suburbs rise "Solaio" (Solarium) and "Vitoio" (Vituhuius) been born presubilmente in remote epoch, with the opening on the spot of the first caves of marble, the historical Santini great researcher and expert of the Versilia it attributed the first extractions of the marble in these primitive caves to the Roman epoch.  X century with the construction of the Parishes versiliesi, the extraction of marble in the small caves of the place increased notably, favoring develop him and the birth di Solaio and Vitoio, these two suburbs of "quarrymen versiliesi", ancient feuds of the Viscounts of Corvaia,   forced to the escape by the army of Lucca in 1254, during the centuries they inexorably followed the fates of Pietrasanta and the near castles (Vallecchia and Corvaia). Today despite the caves has been being closed for many years the mountain it always shows his/her wounds, the numerous ravaneti (sky dumps opened of deprived material of marble or not suited for the workmanship) formed him near the caves during the extraction of the marble, in some points as that place a little more aloft of Vitoio represent a danger for their instability and they owe to be removed or put in safety. Near Solaio around 1686 of the superficial excavations of survey were effected for individualizing possible copper veins, but the shortage of mineral extract made to abandon the searches   Photo Solaio and Vitoio   Solaio   n°1 - n°2 - n°3 - n°4             Vitoio     n°1 - n°2 - n°3        Ancient it extracts of marbl  n°1 - n°2

Strettoia

On the border between Pietrasanta and Serravezza, among the mountains of the Apuane and to the beginning of a hold valley is situated the suburb of medieval origin of Strettoia (Narrow passage) name derived by the narrowing of the valley, been born to the feet of a castle (according to some historical ones the famous one "Castellaccio") belonging to the Viscounts of Corvaia, descending of the Viscount Fraolmo of the was Fraolmo, founder of the powerful surname Longobards also said of the Corvaresi.  The hilly zone around Strettoia, lives already in epoch Etrusca as they show some archaeological finds etruschi found again in the place "Bora dei Frati", you was used since the ancient times to the crop of the grapevine and the olivo cultivations that will represent the most greater economic resource of the population up to the first ones of the nine hundred.  In 1225 the soldiers lucchesis invaded the Versilia, Strettoia and other belonging castles to the Viscounts of Corvaia ended under the jurisdiction of Lucca, the Llucchesis to administer these new ones "Earths" they founded it "Vicaria of Pietrasanta" with center to Pietrasanta and since then the suburb will tie its destiny with its actual town chief town, its territory you be crossed by the armies lucchesi,fiorentini and Genoese,  what for three centuries they will be quarreled the Versilia. In the 1944 war events Strettoia was found along the Gothic line and the whole one valley after centuries of peace was again devastated by the war.

Valdicastello Carducci

The suburb of Valdicastello Carducci one of the most ancient mining centers of the Versilia, probably founded in epoch Etrusca, after the opening of some primitive mines that the Etruschi, they opened in Versilia to supply him of metals, even if the first ones to live the valley, were almost certainly some tribes of the Liguri-Apuani as it would confirm the recovery of one necropolis of theirs recovered to the beginning of the valley.  When the Romans definitely conquered the Versilia (II century aC.) and they installed him in her "Valley Bona" anciently call so for her position (small plateau away from the marshes versiliesi), they began a first pre-industrial exploitation of her mines, that they will reach to cover an important role in the local economy in medieval epoch, traces of the installations of the Romans are perhaps been recovered in the whole valley but the find more main point, a belonging sarcophagus to the first centuries of the Christian era, was found in 1800 in the place he dictates "Baccatoio" rented to little distance from the Parish of Valdicastello entitled Felicita and San to the Saint Giovanni Battista.  The first historical news of Valdicastello concerns only the Parish of Saint Felicita (the name of Baptist S. Giovanni was added in the X century), in 991 the Viscount's children Fraolmo II, Ranieri and Fraolmo received from the Bishop of Lucca halves the good and of the Tithes of the Parish, subsequently in a 1081 parchment together with the Parish the suburb is quoted, also the Bishop Teogrimizio allivellò to their brothers Donuuccio and Guido  of the belonging possessiones to the Parish of S.Felicita rented in "Montecastello" (Valdicastello).  The suburb made part for a long period of the feud of the Viscounts of Corvaia, subsequently also called Cattanei of the Versilia, this powerful person surname during the centuries it divided him in various branches and two of these new surnames, the noble of Corvaia and Vallecchia the 9 October of 1219 they gathered him inside the church of Corvaia, to tighten an alliance, the silver mines of the "Valley Bona" and Gallena was assigned to the noble of Vallecchia, subsequently with the arrival of the soldiers lucchesi in Versilia and the defeat of the noble of Corvaia,il country of Valdicastello will share the fates with the city versiliese of Pietrasanta, founded in 1225 by the Podestà lucchese Guiscardo Pietrasanta.  to the beginning of 1800 for Valdicastello it opened the most glorious page of her history, the mines after a long period of inactivity were reopened by a French company, that to assist the miners in case of accidents hired a surgeon called Michael Carducci, that together with her wife Ildegonda Celli of Volterra established him in the suburb, from their union July 27 th 1835 was born Giosuè Carducci poet of world fame that will receive the Nobel prize for the literature in 1906, in his honor through a decree emanated by the president of the Republic the suburb you will be called Valdicastello Carducci. Photo Valdicastello Carducci  n°1 - n°2 - n°3               Church                Monument              House of Giosuè Carducci  n°1 - n°2

Vallecchia

The suburb of Vallecchia (from "Vallicula" - "Vallecole") he was founded in unknown epoch around the homonym castle and to her church entitled to S.Stefano, one of the belonging first Parishes of the Versilia both to the feud of the noble of Vallecchia, descending of the Viscount Fraolmo as the noble of Corvaia that in 1219 they will become joint-owners of the castle but some years after the lucchesi they penetrated in Versilia and for them it began the decline, that culminated in 1225 with the mass to the proclamation of the noble versiliesi that you refused to swear fidelity to Lucca.  Vallecchia is quoted for the first time in a parchment of May 10 th 843, in which the Bishop of Lucca Berengario, allivellò of the good rented in "Vallicula" to a certain Rodiperto, subsequently in another document compiled in the 882 the Bishop Gherardo allivellò of the good set in "Vallecole" to Cunerardo of the it was Causeramo.  In these first documents the place is named where always the good allivellati is set (houses and belonging grounds to the church of Vallecchia) and its castle, needs never to reach 1170 to have news of it, in that year to its inside "Castrum Vallecchia" a contract was stipulated.  His vassals defeat happened in the XIII century (following the decisive military consignment lucchese in Versilia), coincided with the foundation of Pietrasanta, the construction of the buildings in the new city versiliese contributed notably to increase the application of excavation of the marbles, in the near caves of Solaio and the suburb it began its building development, along the left shore of the stream coming from Solaio, that will bring it to become an important crossroad economic of the Versilia.  The country of Vallecchia with her the institution of the Vicaria of Pietrasanta to work of the lucchesis, will definitely end under the jurisdiction of Pietrasanta sharing the fates of it up to our days. Photo Vallecchia      Parish of S.Stefano

 

Pietrasanta

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