Montignoso

Montignoso, small village located between Massa and Forte dei Marmi, is actually between land and sea. Its geographical position is truly singular: it is close to the sea and to the crowded beaches of Versilia and also at the feet of the imposing Apuan Alps.

Places and monuments to visit:

The Aghinolfi castle, located on the pass, in the current village centre, allowed the control of the territory below it. Considered by the Byzantines as a strategic point of great importance, it was conquered by the Longobardo Rotari in the VII century. On top of being renovated, it also became a stable location for noble clans.

Villa Schiff - Giorgini noble residence of the 18th century, it is currently a place where many cultural events take place. The villa, surrounded by a luxuriant park, is rich in very white marble decorations, which make it one of the most beautiful villas opened to the public in the area. Various famous men rest under the shade of its century-old plants, such as Bettino Ricasoli, Massimo D'Azeglio and the renowned English writer William Somerset Maugham, one of the major English narrative writers of the beginning of the century.

The "Church of San Vito, Modesto and Crescenzia", in the village of Piazza – the old parish church, already mentioned in 1148, no longer exists and its name has been transferred to the new construction that was built in Piazza to replace the church of Sant’Antonio. The only work that survived from the old church is a triptych representing the Virgin on the throne with her baby and Saints Giovanni Battista (John Baptist), Vito, Modesto (Modest) and Pietro (Peter), made by a painter from Lucca, Michele Ciampanti (1482).

The "Church of Sant'Eustachio": located in the village of San Eustachio – it still holds an icon painted in 1495, supposedly by the painter from Lucca, Vincenzo Frediani; it represents the Virgin on the throne with her Baby surrounded by the Saints Eustachio, Giovanni Battista (John Baptist), Maddalena (Magdalena) and Vito. There is also a wooden statue of the XIV century in the church.

"Pasquilio" is a panoramic place and a holiday destination located at a 800-900m height, partly included in the Regional Natural Reserve of the Alpi Apuane. It has been frequented by famous writers and artists such as Mino Maccari and Enrico Pea. In the part that connects Pasquilio to Mount Folgorito, there are German trenches from the 2nd world war, which are part of the defensive line known by the name of “Gothic Line”. From here, one can see the whole Apuan and Versilia coast, the Palmaria Island, and at a distance, the biggest islands from the Tuscan Archipelago and also Corsica. Pasquilio, surrounded by a forest of chestnut trees and fir trees, is the ideal place for the excursions of those who come here looking for a bit of cool during the hot summer days.

The protected area of the Porta lake, a heaven faunistico managed from the WWF and from League Environment, is where the place to make a relaxant walk. In medieval epoch the lake, was connected to the residual lake basins of the "Giardo" and "Massaciuccoli" from a series of depressed areas, today disappearances. The name, that remembers the origin of it of watertight, has not currently appropriated; The great variety of environments and available microhabitat it allows the life of a lot of animal kinds street of extinction and characteristic vegetables and ecologically specialized.

Cinquale - Leaving Montignoso and going towards the sea, one arrives at the famous locality. Renowned seaside resort, where there are very long beaches, equipped with modern structures and hotels for every type of tourist request, Cinquale offers interesting possibilities of recreation, a recently renovated small port ideal for boats, a tourist airport and the thermal baths of versilia.