Follonica is a town and comune (township) of the province of Grosseto in Tuscany. Follonica is about 40 km north west of the Grosseto.
It was founded in 1834 by Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany for the workers of a new ironworks plant. However, the area was already settled in Etruscan and Roman times. The ruins of the medieval castle Castello di Valli, built in 884 AD, overlook the modern town from a nearby hill.
Follonica is a popular tourist site during the summer for Italians. The city has been awarded the Bandiera Blu (“Blue Flag”) every year for the cleanliness of its beaches and seawater.
The most important beaches are:
Cala Violina
Carbonifera
Torre Mozza
Pratoranieri
Cala Martina
Bagni di Lucca, “land of princes and poets”, is the largest mountain commune in Italy with a great number of hamlets. It is situated in the valleys of the rivers Serchio and Lima, surrounded by green hills covered with century-old forests of chestnut trees.
Scattered in the area are many elegant mansions of the 19th century, surrounded by rich gardens populated with rare plant species, which poets and musicians used as a romantic retreat and source of inspiration, while royalty found a refuge from the turmoil of busy European capitals.
Inhabited since the Bronze Age, as shown by remains of Ligurian sepulchres of the 8th century BC, the area was known for its mineral springs by Etruscan and Romans, and a Roman settlement was established at Villa Therentiana (presently Pieve dei Monti di Villa).
In the 11th century AD the valley was a fiefdom of powerful Tuscan families.
Bagni the main spa center in Italy, welcoming guests from all over Europe.
In Napoleonic times the place was a favorite retreat of the Buonaparte family, coming for the spas as well as for a casino. After the Congress of Vienna, the Dukedom of Lucca became an international court, and Bagni was the summer retreat.
After 1860, when Tuscany was included in the kingdom of Italy, the decadence of the place as a fashionable resort began.
Points of Interest:
Villa Ada, a previous Renaissance mansion of the local De Nobili family, was renovated in the 19th century by a British consul who added the two 6-sided towers, and surrounded it with large, romantic gardens, including also an artificial grotto. It is now a property of the municipality, and is used for spa therapies. Thermal Baths, already known in Roman times, and a spa center documented since the Middle Ages, had visitors from all over Europe since medieval times. The spas consist of 19 natural springs with different concentrations of calcium and sulphur, and a maximum temperature of 54 degrees centigrade. Orrido di Botri is a natural reserve in a deep canyon of great beauty, preserving rare plant species and hosting many rare rapacious birds, as the royal eagle and the owl. Devil’s Bridge, also called ‘Maddalena’s Bridge, was constructed during the era of the Countess Matilde di Canossa (1046-1115).
This medieval bridge spans the Serchio River and is said to have been built with the aid of the devil himself.
Sitting on now submerged islets, there are five asymmetrical arches.
This area offers important historical centres such as Coreglia Antelminelli, known as one of the most beautiful italian “borghi” (village) with its Museo delle Statuine di Gesso (Chalk Figurine Museum), the Ghivizzano Castle, Bagni di Lucca a thermal spa town, www.termebagnidilucca.it; Ponte del Diavolo (Devil’s Bridge) at Borgo a Mozzano and the Orrido di Botri and Balzo nero Natrural Reserve.
In Colognora di Pescaglia, you can find the Museo del Castagno (Chestnut Museum) www.museodelcastagno.it and at Celle Puccini, the museum of the great musician Giacomo Puccini, where he spent his childhood holidays.
The itinerary from Pescaglia to Fabbriche di Vallico permitts you to visit some “ferriere” iron-foundrues which are still operative like the ironworks Galgani, the one at Aiola or Gragliana.
The mallets powered by water still forge the iron in the century old tradition, making agricultural tools and the “testi” (round metal flat irons), indispensable accessory to cook the famous “necci” with ricotta cheese, the “crisciolette” or the “focacce leve” simple local traditional plates.
The little Theatre of Vetriano
The Theatre of Vetriano is the smallest historic theatre in the world, holding a record in the Guinness Book of World Records. Only about 17 square meters it is complete in every way in terms of the requirements for a theatre. Built in 1890, it has a trapezoidal plan and two rows of boxes to host plays and musicals commedies.
Informations and services:
How to get there: take the Firenze Mare highway, exit Lucca Est, direction Garfagnana, SS. Abetone to Diecimo and then follow the signs to “Teatrino di Vetriano”.
Visits: by appointment only. Please call +39 340 9724589 or +39 02 4676151 for reservation.
Rent: It is possible to rent the Theatre for conferences, shows, or as location for shooting, phone +39 0583 56891
Tickets:
Adults: euro 4,00
Children (5-10 years) euro 2,00
Teatrino di Vetriano:
Vetriano di Pescaglia LUCCA – info@fondoambiente.it
After a morning of exploring Florence one of your most tantalizing decisions will be where to grab a bite to eat? As you explore the various corners in Florence you will find numerous ‘Ristoranti and Pizzeria” from which to choose. These Ristorantes are in the Piazza della Signoria.
One may enjoy delicious pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches from any number of places. All are delicious!
It is also the perfect time to relax, rest your feet, and ready yourself the afternoon’s tour.
