Pietrasanta is an incredibly picturesque Tuscan town that is a must for art-lovers who are interested in getting off the beaten path while exploring the region. Of course, destinations such as Florence, Pisa, and Siena will all yield all sorts of truly extraordinary and world-class museums and galleries but there are many other important towns and cities throughout the region that have rich cultural histories and in which some of the most famous names worked and the most astounding pieces of art are on display. So, if you have found a villa with pool in Lucca and you are looking to take in amazing works of art and learn about great Renaissance masters, be sure to set aside a day to visit Pietrasanta, which is basically one large, open-air museum dotted with artistic gems.
Though the town has ancient Roman origins, it was one of the ideal towns of Tuscany founded in the 13th century that were created based on plans involving perfect proportions, symmetry, and balance, and the historic core of Pietrasanta is made up of five main streets running parallel to each other with a large square at one end. Made particularly famous once Michelangelo noticed the beauty of the stone from the area and began to use it, the town is located close to the famous marble quarries of Carrara and, as a result, has been a beacon for sculptors and artists for centuries, since at least the late Middle Ages.
Though the town has ancient Roman origins, it was one of the ideal towns of Tuscany founded in the 13th century that were created based on plans involving perfect proportions, symmetry, and balance, and the historic core of Pietrasanta is made up of five main streets running parallel to each other with a large square at one end. Made particularly famous once Michelangelo noticed the beauty of the stone from the area and began to use it, the town is located close to the famous marble quarries of Carrara and, as a result, has been a beacon for sculptors and artists for centuries, since at least the late Middle Ages.
As a result, the town has been variously the home and workplace of famous artists such as Moore, Mirò, Pomodoro, Folon, Mitoraj, Cascella, and Botero and is, to this day, home to the studios of international marble and bronze artists as well as copyist and foundry workshops that have flourished in the area since after the Second World War. Opportunities for painting and sculpture exhibitions in the city have only grown and there is a long list of public spaces, galleries, and more in which works can be put on display. There is approximately one gallery for every 1200 inhabitants, a record high proportion even in an artistic capital of the world like Tuscany.
In fact, Pietrasanta, often referred to as, “Little Athens,” is basically one large art gallery and boasts a rather large array of wonderful sculptures (largely dating to the 20th and 21st centuries) that are on display throughout the streets and squares of the town and in the surrounding villages in the area; making it truly a must-see for those interested in art who have found a vacation rental in Lucca. Examples of some particularly noteworthy works include Igor Mitoraj's striking bronze centaur in the pretty little Piazza del Centauro that is named for the piece, the elegant and classicising Column of the Marzocco dating to 1514 in the Piazza del Duomo, and Marcello Tommasi's lively Bronze Group of figures on Via Oberdan.
The Piazza del Duomo, the main square in which visitors often first find themselves enjoying a coffee or aperitivo upon arriving in town, is regularly home to special temporary art exhibitions, as well, with large and globally-recognised names having put on display there throughout the years. For example, back in 2016, the square showcased a wonderful collection of bronze pieces inspired by the bizarre, fantastical, and unforgettable works of Salvador Dalí.
In fact, Pietrasanta, often referred to as, “Little Athens,” is basically one large art gallery and boasts a rather large array of wonderful sculptures (largely dating to the 20th and 21st centuries) that are on display throughout the streets and squares of the town and in the surrounding villages in the area; making it truly a must-see for those interested in art who have found a vacation rental in Lucca. Examples of some particularly noteworthy works include Igor Mitoraj's striking bronze centaur in the pretty little Piazza del Centauro that is named for the piece, the elegant and classicising Column of the Marzocco dating to 1514 in the Piazza del Duomo, and Marcello Tommasi's lively Bronze Group of figures on Via Oberdan.
The Piazza del Duomo, the main square in which visitors often first find themselves enjoying a coffee or aperitivo upon arriving in town, is regularly home to special temporary art exhibitions, as well, with large and globally-recognised names having put on display there throughout the years. For example, back in 2016, the square showcased a wonderful collection of bronze pieces inspired by the bizarre, fantastical, and unforgettable works of Salvador Dalí.
While, as noted, there are all sorts of little galleries and active workshops in which sculptures, mosaics, and other pieces are being produced and in which art can be seen throughout Pietrasanta, there are some particularly notable examples of indoor art spaces to be visited in town. The town's 14th century cathedral, for example, the Duomo di San Martino, boasts wonderful 17th century interiors and 19th century frescoes as well as a gorgeous marble façade and is well worth a visit. Then, at the far end of the same piazza in which one finds the Duomo, you will discover the Bozzetti Sculpture Museum, in the complex of the 16th century San Agostino church and former convent. Home to a permanent collection of some 700 sculptures as well as a rich collection of sketches and models of sculpted works made by more than 300 artists, both domestic and international, who have worked in the town over the centuries, the church is also used regularly for other temporary art exhibitions and the cloister of the convent cloister has wonderful fragments of some original frescoes on the walls.
Finally, for those interested in older objects and works of art, there is the Bruno Antonucci Archeological Museum of Versilia located in the 16th century Palazzo Moroni (also in the main square) that boasts a wonderful collection of artefacts uncovered in the area by the Gruppo Speleologico e Archeologico Versiliese starting in the 1960s and led by Prof. Bruno Antonucci in collaboration with the Archeology Superintendence and the University of Pisa. Ranging from Prehistory to the Middle Ages, with some Renaissance ceramics as well, this museum began as a storehouse and was then opened to the public as an exhibition. Items on display include human bones, arrowheads, knives, crockery and pendants made from bone, Etruscan funerary stones, tombs, accessories, and work tools, Roman amphorae, ceramics, glass, work tools, tombs, funerary goods, and coins, similar items from the Medieval period, and the aforementioned Renaissance ceramics. If one is really tracing the development of history and art in the area, then a stop into this rich collection is absolutely a must!
So, no matter what period you are interested in, if you have a passion for art and design then the city of Pietrasanta, which is one giant museum and is still home to a living, breathing art industry, is a must-see. Just browse our lovely villas in Lucca and come see it for yourself. For those on vacation in Tuscany, it is surely one of the highlights of the art destinations in the region that are just off the regular beaten path for tourists.
Finally, for those interested in older objects and works of art, there is the Bruno Antonucci Archeological Museum of Versilia located in the 16th century Palazzo Moroni (also in the main square) that boasts a wonderful collection of artefacts uncovered in the area by the Gruppo Speleologico e Archeologico Versiliese starting in the 1960s and led by Prof. Bruno Antonucci in collaboration with the Archeology Superintendence and the University of Pisa. Ranging from Prehistory to the Middle Ages, with some Renaissance ceramics as well, this museum began as a storehouse and was then opened to the public as an exhibition. Items on display include human bones, arrowheads, knives, crockery and pendants made from bone, Etruscan funerary stones, tombs, accessories, and work tools, Roman amphorae, ceramics, glass, work tools, tombs, funerary goods, and coins, similar items from the Medieval period, and the aforementioned Renaissance ceramics. If one is really tracing the development of history and art in the area, then a stop into this rich collection is absolutely a must!
So, no matter what period you are interested in, if you have a passion for art and design then the city of Pietrasanta, which is one giant museum and is still home to a living, breathing art industry, is a must-see. Just browse our lovely villas in Lucca and come see it for yourself. For those on vacation in Tuscany, it is surely one of the highlights of the art destinations in the region that are just off the regular beaten path for tourists.
Photo credits
Picture 1: Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Hans Peter Schaefer / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 3: Guerinf / CC BY-SA 4.0
Picture 1: Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Hans Peter Schaefer / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 3: Guerinf / CC BY-SA 4.0
