Once one of the most glamorous seaside resorts in Italy, Viareggio is still very popular and retains a good deal of the Art Nouveau architecture for which it is well known. It is situated north of Pisa and west of Lucca in northern Tuscany on the Versilia Coast.

Viareggio is a city and comune in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. With a population of over 62,000, it is the second largest city within the province of Lucca, after Lucca.

HIGHLIGHTS

It is known as a seaside resort as well as being the home of the famous carnival of Viareggio (dating back to 1873), and its papier-mâché floats, which (since 1925), parade along the promenade known as „Passeggiata a mare“, in the weeks of Carnival. The symbol of the carnival of Viareggio and its official mask is Burlamacco, designed and invented by Uberto Bonetti in 1930.

The city traces its roots back to the first half of the 16th century when it became the only gate to the sea for the Republic of Lucca. The oldest building in Viareggio, known as Torre Matilde, dates back to this time and was built by the Lucchesi in 1541 as a defensive fortification to fight the constant menace of corsair incursions.

Viareggio is also an active industrial and manufacturing centre; its shipbuilding industry has long been renowned around the world and its fishing and floricultural industries are still fundamental sectors to the city’s economy.

Viareggio hosts the Premio letterario Viareggio Répaci for literature, established in 1929. Amongst the other events organized around the year, it is worth mentioning the Festival Gaber, which has been held every August since 2004 to celebrate the memory of Giorgio Gaber, and is attended by several high-profile Italian musicians.

Viareggio beaches

The beaches in Viareggio are crowded and it is hard to find a free (non-paying) place, but are also sandy, sunny and well maintained – if you tire of the artistic marvels of the great Tuscan cities and need a day where the children can relax Viareggio is probably just what you are looking for!

The main beach is long, sandy, and covered in long rows of brightly coloured parasols, typical of the larger Italian resorts and quite a sight if you have never seen an Italian beach resort: there are literally thousands of neat rows of colourful parasols with two loungers and a small table placed under each of them, and visitors pay to ‚rent‘ the chairs for a day or half a day (typically 10 – 20 euros a day).

There are various other beaches nearby (just outside the town centre) which are rather less expensive – but of course also without the Art Deco architecture and „buzz“ of Viareggio town centre.

What to see in Viareggio

Viareggio is an attractive destination not just for seaside tourists, but also for lovers of the figurative arts. The Villa Paolina Civic Museum and the refined art-deco architecture, which characterize many of the city’s villas, are a must-see.

The boardwalk, a gorgeous avenue along the sea, is the town’s real artistic treasure and showcases some delightful Art Nouveau design.

The Villa Argentina and the Caffè Margherita, which has for the most part remained intact since Giacomo Puccini’s frequent visits, are particularly noteworthy examples.

The Maritime Museum in the centre is also worth visiting, and offers a fascinating opportunity to discover the life and work of sailors.

The Cittadella del Carnevale (Carnival Citadel) is a large urban park dedicated to the city’s historical event, where papier-mâché masters, the craftsmen from Viareggio, build the carnival’s gigantic floats by hand.

Nearby

Versilia is full of golden beaches with famous seaside resorts, such as Forte dei Marmi and Lido di Camaiore. The inland is dotted with small villages and natural parks, all waiting to be discovered, such as Massaciuccoli lake and the peaks of the Apuan Alps. There’s an abundance of archaeological sites, Romanesque churches, fortresses and medieval castles that bear witness to the deep history of an area inhabited since the Neolithic age.

Moreover, Versilia’s beaches are an ideal setting for carefree and cheerful films, fitting for the Italian summer holiday ambiance.

Main sights

• Villa Orlandi
• Villa Borbone (between Viareggio and Torre del Lago Puccini).
• Villa Puccini, Museum.
• Monument to the Resistance and to Peace, (largo Risorgimento). The monument is made of columns taken from the old City Hall, destroyed by the aerial bombardments of World War II, and two walls running perpendicular to each other. On one of these a mosaic from Jean-Michel Folon can be found together with a quote from Quasimodo: „E come potevamo noi cantare con i piedi stranieri sopra il cuore?“/“And how could we sing with foreign feet trampling onto our hearts?“

Port and marina

Two extensions to today’s Burlamacca canal were built in 1577. It is on its banks that the first maritime activities developed

In 1740, Bernardino Zendrini had a water-gate built in order to prevent the sea water from arriving to lake Massaciuccoli.

In 1820 Maria Luisa, duchess of Lucca had the first marina of Viareggio built, which was completed in 1823, and took the name of Marina of Lucca.

Between 1871 and 1873 the so-called Marina of Tuscany was built, then followed by the Marina of Italy, 1907 through to 1911.

In 1938 the Marina of the Empire was also built, which was followed in the 1970s by the Marina of Viareggio (also known as the New Marina), the Marina of the Madonnina, and the new lighthouse.

The Madonnina can host up to 500 vessels.

The city hosts the local Capitaneria di Porto, and all vessels registered here bear the marking VG.

Economy

The primary sectors of Viareggio’s economy are tourism, commerce and services, include fishing and floriculture (the flowers of Versilia).

The city also houses prolific shipyards.

At the beginning of the 19th century the craftsmen from Viareggio used to build small fishing vessels along the banks of the Burlamacca canal. As the century moved on, however, this small shipbuilding activity prospered until it became an internationally acclaimed centre. Nowadays, Viareggio represents the main luxury yachts producer city in the world thanks to the presence in the territory of shipyards like Azimut Benetti, Codecasa, Fipa, Rossinavi, Perini navi and many others.

Culture

Carnival

The Carnival of Viareggio was established in 1873, while the now ever-present papier mâché – used to build the floats featured during its parades – was first introduced in 1925. The official masks of the Carnival are Burlamacco and Ondina, drawn for the first time in 1930.

Since 1954, RAI broadcasts the entire event on national TV. Since 2001, the craftsmen of the carnival have moved to the Cittadella del Carnevale or, literally, Carnival Town.

Prizes

• Premio letterario Viareggio Repaci, a literary award founded in 1929 by Leonida Rèpaci, Alberto Colantuoni and Carlo Salsa.
• Premio internazionale Artiglio.
• Premio Sport Città di Viareggio.
• Premio Viareggio Sport.

Events

• Festival Puccini (held in Torre del Lago Puccini). It takes place every summer since 1930, between July and August, in an open-air theatre with 3,200 seats on the shore of lake Massaciuccoli. A new permanent theatre was opened in 2009.
• Jazz and more…, music festival held since 2002
• Festival teatro canzone – Giorgio Gaber, since 2004
• Viareggio Incontri, at „Il Principino“, on the Promenade.
• EuropaCinema, an international film festival reserved to the European film industry. It has been founded in 1984 in Rimini, it was then moved to Bari in 1988, and finally to Viareggio in 1989.
• The Torneo Mondiale Giovanile di Calcio „Coppa Carnevale“ is one of the most prestigious youth football tournaments and is contested by the youth teams from clubs around the world.