Just a few kilometers from the historic center of Lucca, Versilia is one of the ideal destinations for a holiday of relaxation and nature in Tuscany.

With its beaches and sea, hills, and the backdrop of the Apuan Alps, the Versilia coast is an inviting place that offers evocative landscapes with sharp mountain profiles and the famous white marble in the Apuan Alps that bear witness of local history and culture.

You can spend your time on the beach, hiking in the Apuan Alps , or strolling along the boulevards of Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi, enjoying fresh fish dishes in one of the typical restaurants, and finally enjoy the fun of the nightlife.

The area of Forte dei Marmi  is the vanguard of elite tourism,

Its good cuisine and clean sea have always made it a reference point for those seeking an exclusive holiday. Many know Forte dei Marmi as a VIP, expensive and somewhat snobbish resort, perfect for those who want high-end services, fashionable clubs and boutiques. This is undoubtedly one of its faces, but the town also has a historic centre full of museums and monuments; it is also an excellent base for exploring the other beaches and places of interest  of the Versilia area.

A must see town and an ideal place to stay or  live is Pietrasanta , a town that in the past hosted  artists coming from Florence who created a refined local art. There are still many sculpture workshops and galleries today and many artists choose Pietrasanta as their hometown. The works of Cascella, Botero, Miozzo, Mitoraj, Marinky, Messina, Finotti, Folon are exposed in squares, cloisters,  churches, alleys, making Pietrasanta an open-air museum of contemporary art.

Artists and artisans working marble and bronze are appreciated at the same time, and in their workshops it is possible to order commission works for public and private spaces all over the world.

The marble quarries of Carrara are not far and their history is ancient and fascinating. According to historical sources, the excavation of the marble deposits dates back to Roman times (155 BC). Many famous monuments of ancient Rome were built using Carrara white marble: the Pantheon,  the Arch of Claudius, the Trajan’s Column, the Arch of Domitia, just to name a few.

From the Romans onwards, Carrara white marble has become famous and has been celebrated in every era of the history of Italian art. Many important Christian buildings have been embellished with precious marble decorations: the Baptistery of Florence, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Basilicas of Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella,  and the Cathedral of Siena.

The greatest sculptors and architects personally went to the Carrara marble quarries  to choose the statuary marbles; among them Nicola Pisano and, later, Michelangelo Buonarotti.