L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 L'Italo-Americano ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS PEOPLE ACTIVITIES part of Tuscany's culinary tradition. Viareggio also fea- tures unique desserts like rum-soaked cakes topped with gelato, typically called Versilia cakes. After having read so much about it, you may be curious to know how this charming slice of Tuscany compares to other popular Italian riv- ieras. The Ligurian Riv- iera, which runs from the French border to Tuscany, is known for its dramatic cliffs, colorful villages, and inti- mate ports – think Portofino and Cinque Terre – but is somehow less beach-focused than Versilia. The southern rivieras, like those of Amalfi and Sor- rento, are warmer, charac- terized by a more quintes- s e n t i a l l y M e d i t e r r a n e a n landscape and, often, more tourist heavy. The Riviera Romagnola, on the Adriat- plays a key role in Versilia's popularity: venues like La Capannina (opened in 1929), S e v e n A p p l e s , a n d T w i g a have hosted live music and dancing for decades. Twiga – l i n k e d t o e n t r e p r e n e u r Flavio Briatore – in particu- lar became a status symbol for élite tourism in the area. If you're not into dancing t h e n i g h t a w a y , y o u c a n always enjoy Versilia's fan- tastic food (of course, after a full day at the beach!). In a perfect medley of sea and mountains – Versilia is near the Apuan Alps – local deli- cacies include seafood soups like cacciucco and cacciuc- co chickpeas, and offerings like fettunta (garlic rubbed toasted bread with oil), liver croutons, fried fritters called ficattole, olive oil drizzled spelt and seafood, and sweets such as buccellato toscano and ricciarelli, which are all ic coast, is more focused on mass tourism: large stretches o f e q u i p p e d , a f f o r d a b l e beachfront, family oriented resorts, and budget friendly entertainment are typical around Rimini and Riccione; Versilia, on the other hand, is more "boutique," as beaches are privately managed, often with elegant clubs and higher prices. H i s t o r i c a l l y , V e r s i l i a ' s appeal hinged on three fac- tors. First, geography, with a combination of mountains, beach, and pine forests; sec- ond, cultural production: m a r b l e s c u l p t u r e i n Pietrasanta, art and modern architecture in Viareggio, lit- erary and musical patronage in Forte dei Marmi. Third, sociability: from 19th cen- tury noble families to today's i n t e r n a t i o n a l c e l e b r i t i e s demanding private clubs and sophisticated leisure. This is why Versilia is such a l a y e r e d d e s t i n a t i o n : i t b r i n g s t o g e t h e r a n c i e n t Roman traditions of seasonal retreat with 19th-century bourgeois leisure, the boom o f 2 0 t h - c e n t u r y m a s s tourism, and today's focus on luxury and branding. And, v e r y i m p o r t a n t l y , i t s a r t , a r c h i t e c t u r e , a n d c u i s i n e mirror both the coast and the nearby mountains. It doesn't matter whether visitors are drawn to the private beach clubs of Forte dei Marmi, the Carnival of Viareggio, marble sculptures in Pietrasanta, or outdoor adventures in the A p u a n A l p s , V e r s i l i a h a s something for everyone. With its iconic nightlife venues, its refined beach cul- ture, and its mountain back- drop, this lovely part of Tus- cany remains one of Italy's m o s t s u c c e s s f u l s e a s o n a l tourism locations: it is not the most photographed cliff coast, nor the cheapest large scale resort, but as a model for combining leisure, art, cuisine, and exclusivity, it b u i l t a n d m a i n t a i n e d a u n i q u e p o s i t i o n a m o n g Italy's coastal regions. Today, it stands as one of the most sophisticated parts of Italy's coasts, a refuge for those seeking quality beaches, art, food, and social energy, with- in a setting that continues to evolve in scale and character. Versilia's cultural and artistic anchor and became a focal point for marble-related art thanks to its proximity to the famed Carrara quarries – the very same that supplied the s t o n e f o r M i c h e l a n g e l o ' s David and the Pantheon. At the southern edge of Versilia, we find Viareggio, which entered the interna- tional consciousness in the late 19th century when it developed as Italy's first pur- pose built bathing resort, in 1827. Known for its Carni- val, it is also famous for Art Nouveau architecture and its lively literary tradition. What people love the most about this part of Italy, how- ever, is probably the way it b r i n g s t o g e t h e r n a t u r a l beauty with a vivacious s o c i a l a t m o s p h e r e : its sandy beaches attract sun seekers, surfers, sailors, and families, but the nightlife V ersilia occupies t h e n o r t h e r n coastal strip of Tuscany within the province of Lucca. Stretching from the Apuan Alps down to the Lig- urian Sea, it includes four key municipalities – Forte dei Marmi, Pietrasanta, Seravezza, and Stazzema – known as "Old Versilia," as w e l l a s o t h e r s s u c h a s Camaiore and Viareggio. The area takes its name from the Versilia River, once a marshy f l o o d p l a i n , r e c l a i m e d through centuries of engi- neering work. S i n c e a n c i e n t R o m e , wealthy citizens took to the coast in the summer, a prac- tice known as villeggiatura. The word itself means "vaca- tioning in pleasant places," and it describes a tradition that stretches back to Roman élites seeking relief from the heat in the countryside and seaside. Over time, this sort o f " s e a s o n a l m i g r a t i o n " became part of how Italians understood leisure: by the 18th century, sophisticated families had written satirical plays about these escapes, and by the late 19th century, Versilia began to host visitors from the north of Europe, as the Grand Tour expand- ed. Forte dei Marmi offers a particularly vivid example of the area's transformation into a tourist-sought loca- tion: named after the stone fortress built in 1788 to pro- tect marble shipments, by the late 1800s it had become a seaside retreat offering sandy beaches and wooded avenues to its visitors. Early in the 20th century, aristo- cratic families began con- structing villas among pine forests; later, the postwar period brought the tourism b o o m o f t h e 1 9 5 0 s a n d 1960s, resulting in hotels, beach resorts, and nightlife v e n u e s . T o d a y , F o r t e d e i M a r m i r e m a i n s a r e f i n e d resort town with high-end hotels, designer boutiques, and private beach clubs, and r e t a i n s i t s é l i t e a p p e a l through venues like Villa Agnelli, originally built in the 1 9 2 0 s b y F I A T f o u n d e r Edoardo Agnelli's family, which is today part of a luxu- r y h o t e l . N e a r b y , s i n g e r Andrea Bocelli owns a villa and adjacent beach club. Pietrasanta, inland a few kilometers from the coast, is GIULIA FRANCESCHINI A summer in Versilia: art, sea, and Italian style Pietrasanta at sunset (Photo: Stevanzz/Dreamstime) and, bottom right, Versilia's beautiful beaches (Photo: Jborzicchi/Dreamstime)

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