Pietrasanta is a town and ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' on the coast of northern

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, in the

province of Lucca The province of Lucca () is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lucca. It has an area of and a population of about 390,000. The province contains 33 ''comuni'' (: ''comune''). Geography Situated in northwester ...

. Pietrasanta is part of

Versilia Versilia is a part of Tuscany in the north-western province of Lucca and is named after the Versilia river. Known for fashionable Riviera resorts, it consists of numerous clubs that are frequented by local celebrities. Is composed by the four terr ...

, on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps, about north of

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) 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 the Leaning Tow ...

. The town is located off the coast, where the ''frazione'' of Marina di Pietrasanta is located. Estatua de Anna Chromyi- Pietrasanta

It is situated on the main road and rail link from

Genova Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitants ...

, just north of

Viareggio Viareggio () is a city and ''comune'' in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Ligurian Sea. With a population of over 62,000, it is the second largest city in the province of Lucca, after Lucca. It is known as a seaside resort as well a ...

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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

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 Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

by Luca Guiscardo da Pietrasanta, from whom it got its name. Pietrasanta was at its height a part of the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

(1316–1328). The town is first mentioned in 1331 in records of Genoa, when it became a part of the

Lucca Città di 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 of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

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 consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first half of the 15th ...

held seigniory of

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. In 1494,

Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the 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. His elder sister Anne acted as regent jointly with her husband Peter II, Du ...

took control of the town. It remained a Luccan town again until

Pope Leo X Pope Leo 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 and banking Med ...

, 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 disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

. In 1841, Grand Duke

Leopold II of Tuscany Leopold II, , English: ''Leopold John Joseph Francis Ferdinand Charles''. (3 October 1797 – 29 January 1870) was Grand Duke of Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Tuscany from 1824 to 1859. He married twice; first to Princess Maria Anna of Saxony (1799� ...

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 consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

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

Fernando Botero Fernando Botero Angulo (19 April 1932 – 15 September 2023) was a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor. His signature style, also known as "Boterismo", depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political ...

Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , ; ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor and Ceramic art, ceramist. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona ...

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 sculpture, bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. Moore ...

, and

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist and art collector. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest ...

. The town is still home to over 50 marble workshops and bronze foundries.

Main sights

Collegiata di San Martino The Collegiata di San Martino is a Renaissance architecture, Renaissance-style, Roman Catholic collegiate church in the center of Sinalunga, province of Siena, region of Tuscany, Italy. It is now part of the Diocese of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza. ...

(

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. The Duomo of Monza, for example, has never been a diocesan seat and is by definitio ...

or Cathedral, 13th-14th centuries). * Sant'Agostino (15th century), Romanesque-style deconsecrated 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 Eugenio Barsanti (12 October 1821 – 19 April 1864), also named Nicolò, was an Italian engineer and Catholic priest who, together with Felice Matteucci, invented the first internal combustion engine in 1853. Their patent request was granted in ...

, 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 ...

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 comb ...

in 1853 * Ottavio Barsanti, New Zealand missionary, priest and writer born in Pietrasanta *

, Colombian painter and sculptor, lived in the commune * Julia Vance, Norwegian Sculptor, lives in the commune * Hanneke Beaumont, 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 noticeably influential, and was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy. In 1906, he became ...

, poet and teacher; recipient of 1906 Nobel Prize in Literature * Carlo Carli, politician * Christian Dalle Mura, footballer * Corinna Dentoni, tennis player *

Giulio Donati Giulio Donati (born 5 February 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a right-back. Club career Inter Milan Primavera and first team Born in Pietrasanta, the Province of Lucca, Donati started his career at hometown club Lucc ...

, 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 driver, racing and rally driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for AF Corse. Kubica competed in Formula One between and , and the World Rally Championship ...

, Polish F1 driver, lives in the commune * Massimo Mallegni, Italian Senator and former Mayor of Pietrasanta * Leonardo Massoni, footballer * Igor Mitoraj, Polish sculptor, lived in the commune * David Philippaerts, Grand Prix motocross world champion * Diego Romanini, race car driver * Santino Spinelli, musician and composer * Luca Tesconi, Olympic sport shooter * Nicola Vizzoni, Olympic hammer thrower * Neil Estern, American Sculptor *

Morten Søndergaard Morten Søndergaard (3 October 1964 in Copenhagen) is a Danish poet. In addition to his poetry he has published short prose, lyrical prose, novels, been a translator and editor, and worked with language and poetry in installation art and sound. L ...

, Danish poet * Jørgen Haugen Sørensen, Danish sculptor * Kirsten Ortwed, Danish sculptor * Håkon Anton Fagerås, Norwegian sculptor

Sister cities

Pietrasanta is twinned withOfficial website page
/ref> * Écaussinnes, 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 birthpla ...

, Poland * Montgomery, USA *

Utsunomiya is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 513,584, 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