Pietrasanta Pietrasanta Kabloona Pietrasanta is a town on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy. Located 3 km (1.8 miles) from the coast, Pietrasanta straddles the last foothills of the Apuan Alps. It is 45 km north of Pisa and 1.5 hours from Florence and Genoa.

The patronage of artists

The small medieval town has Roman origins and part of the Roman wall still exists. 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. Michelangelo was the first sculptor to recognize the beauty of the local stone. Today's artists and sculptors are drawn to Pietrasanta from all over the world.

History

The city was founded in 1255 upon the preexisting "Rocca di Sala" fortress of the Longobards by Luca Guiscardo da Pietrasanta, from whom it got its name. Pietrasanta was at its height as a part of the Genova city-state from 1316 to 1328. The city is first mentioned in 1331 in records of Genova, when it became a part of the Luccan state along with the river port of Motrone, until 1430. At that time it passed back to Genova until 1484, when the Medicis took control of Florence.

In 1494, Carlo VIII d'Angio di Francia (Charles VIII of France) took control of the city. It remained a Luccan city again until Pope Leo X reconsigned Pietrasanta to the Medici family. There was a long period of decadence there during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, partially due to Malaria, until 1841, after which the Granduke of Tuscany, Leopold II di Lorena, caused many works and reconstruction projects to be initiated, which brought back much of the city's former glory, including the building of schools for sculpture and a reopening of the once famous quarries.

The city then became also the 'capoluogo' (main town) of the 'Vicariato di Pietrasanta', comprising the towns of Forte dei Marmi, Seravezza and Stazzema (this region became the historical heart of Versilia). Finally, with the Plebiscite, the city joined the Italian Kingdom (Regno d'Italia).

Local market day

Thursday is local market day, which adds more than a little chaos to the daily bustle of the town.

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