by Margherita Calderoni

This message is offered by the advertising brochure of Villa Homes, specialized agency for renting summer houses just in Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany's unrivalled seaside town. Apart the jubilant boost of this famous Tuscan resort, there is a point in presenting Versilia as a place favoured by Mother Nature and enriched by man  in centuries of civilization.

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Not only Versilia has the longest beach of the finest sand lapped by the Tyrrhenian sea, it also revels in the marble shadow of the majestic Apuan Alps ,which offer a variegated landscape, full of life or silence, lanes in shady woods, valleys, fields, quaint villages, ancients mills and impressive marble quarries. And you can get away from the riviera to the mountains in just a few minutes: from the blue of the sea to the green of the chestnut woods, from the wide beaches to the harsh mountain tops, through gentle hillsides, among thick olive groves and luxuriant vineyards. The history of Versilia is no less colorful than its picturesque landscape. 

Since hostilities opened between Apuans and Romans, fights have been a regular feature in Middle Ages too, when this lovely coast was fiercely  quarrelled over by Lucca, Pisa, Genoa. Of course not for the panoramic views but for the more practical control of trading on land and sea .That is why every hill of Versilia sports a castle or a fortress or a watch tower, now of touristic attraction, where history has left a bloody inheritance whose after effects are the mutual dislike of the current inhabitants. Actually Tuscans are the most litigious people in Italy.

Even a Pope intervened to provoke a worse relationship when Leo X, being a true Medici, assigned to Florence the vicariate of Pietrasanta. In the procedure the whole Versilia was taken away from the Lucchese jurisdiction but Viareggio, which at that time was an obscure port of call. Florence favoured Pietrasanta and surrounding: the Granduchal family went fishing at Seravezza, Michelangelo chose his marble on Monte Altissimo, painters and sculptors made detours in Versilia, so Pietrasanta feels its rightful cultural capital, looking with a bit of spiteful superiority at Viareggio.

This one got its revenge when sea-bathing came in fashion. Elisa Baciocchi, sister of Napoleon and ruler of Lucca gave the good example and shortly Viareggio got the upper hand in the panorama of the emerging sea-side resorts. It is still snubbed by Forte dei Marmi and Marina di Pietrasanta but it is still in pole-position in the tourism industry . Viareggio can have its attractive "passeggiata " and its renown Carnival: Pietrasanta is proud of its artistic heritage which brings army of artists from all over the world to live and work here (Moore, Mitoraj, Botero, Yasuda, Pomodoro just to name a few) while Forte dei Marmi keeps the preference of high class society since the Bourbons and the Agnelli chose its beach to enjoy their summer holidays. 

There is no love lost among the towns of Versilia, anyway they are united by the friendly attitude towards tourists. Actually not too much friendly: Tuscans are not easy going people and sickening adulation id definitely not in their character. Dante has something to say on this matter, as well as Curzio Malaparte. 

But as their land has preserved its natural beauty, people  themselves have retained their own identity with straightforward spontaneity. Which is appreciated by the British, who are specialists in aloofness and loftiness. Maybe this is why they are so many in Tuscany, enjoying their Tuscan properties hidden by woods and gardens.

Especially in Versilia, where they can profit from the pleasures of sea-side and mountain, countrylife and modern facilities, art, history, culture, folklore, sport, fitness centers , gourmet restaurants, "osterie tipiche" and wine tasting.

The Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago provides an unforgettable musical experience as well as  the classic concerts in enchanting villas and churches, the Versilia Golf Club satisfies the most particular golfers,Villa Undulna SPA guarantees the best relaxation of body and mind, the Versiliana Theatre Season offers the best  evening entertainments, Pietrasanta is an open workshop of artistic events, Seravezza hosts wonderful exhibitions in his stunning Palazzo Mediceo, festivals in every village ensure eno-gastronomic delights, the art treasures of Carrara, Lucca, Pisa are within reach. Italians know how to enjoy life, Tuscans make the most of it since Etruscan times and Versilia is one of their private paradise for love and laughter, good food and wine, including interesting encounters to spice a special holiday.