Tuscany itinerary

Orrido di Botri - Little stream

Tuscany itinerary: Serchio Middle Valley

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.

Tuscan walls

Lucca walls

While you are visiting Tuscany, the fabulous medieval town of Lucca is not to be missed.
The original Tuscan walls are Lucca’s symbol ,and they still encircle the entire city today.  The walls are testimony to the historical events experienced by Lucca.   As the capital of small state,  Lucca was menaced by many outside forces.
The walls were erected between the middle of the 16th century and the middle of the 17th century in order to protect and guarantee freedom to its citizens.
The ring of the walls has an irregular route, with a length of about 4200 meters: their aggregate consists of 11 screens, 10 bastions, and a platform.
At the beginning of the 19th century, having lost any and all military value, the upper part of the walls were transformed, by the initiative of Maria Luisa di Borbone, into a public walkway enriched by the planting of hundreds of forest trees.
Today the walls have become a vast park permitting a spectacular view both on the inside town and on the surrounding landscape.
As you walk on the walls of Lucca one realizes what a remarkable feat erecting the walls was and how important freedom must have been to the citizens Lucca.

Visit also www.luccatourist.it

Tuscany day tours

Vetriano Theatre

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

Castiglione della Pescaia Tuscany

Castiglione della Pescaia - Panorama

Welcome to Castiglione della Pescaia!

Castiglione della Pescaia is a popular Tuscan seaside resort in coastal Maremma and is dominated by a fortress.  It consists of hundreds of houses with a few thousand inhabitants.  It is situated in a corner of coastal Maremma, between the sea and the hills.
Rocks reach to the sea and the beaches are bordered by extensive pine forests.
The fishing harbour is dominated by the mediaeval castle and the town is protected from the full force of the wind and sea by the island of Elba.
Nearby there are the marshlands of Diaccia and Botrona, which are very important for their bird life.  While there you might want to visit the medieval village of Castiglione Castello, the Pineta del Tombolo, and the Riva del Sole e Punta Ala.  Here you will enjoy all the tranquility of the sea.

Localities of historical-archaeological interest in Maremma:

Vetulonia: ancient Etruscan site nearby Castiglione della Pescaia
Roselle: Etruscan-Roman archaeological area near Grosseto
Populonia: Etruscan archaeological park near Piombino
The Tufa towns: Sovana, Sorano and Pitigliano

Localities of naturalistic interest:

Parco della Maremma: regional park of the Uccellina Mountains: www.parco-maremma.it
Carapax: Localities of naturalistic interest