Day 10: Peitrasanta

We leave Florence behind and begin our drive up to Cinque Terre.

We are heading to the north end of the province of Tuscany and soon into Liguria.

On the way we stop in the small town of Pietrasanta, famous for it marble. It is a town reknowned for sculpting both in the past and the present. It is market day and we peruse the stalls before heading down the main drag.

When all of the painters lived in Florence, myself one, there were 4 students who were interested in sculpture who came to live here for the year. They would come into town for our art history days and trips. Nigel and I head up the main drag, Via Giuseppe Mazzini.

At the end is the main Piazza del Duomo.

In this square sits the Duomo di San Marino with a 36 metre tall bell tower.

Looking towards the other side of the square there are cafes and restaurants lining the piazza.

It truly is a sculptors town as there is a huge exhibition on when we arrive of sculptor Giuseppe Bergomi.

His work is throughout the square and in the local Museo del Bozzetti but it only opens later at 4pm and we have a journey to carry on with.

Inside part of the Museum.

 

In 1255 Pietrasanta was seen as a prize for the surrounding cities of Lucca, Pisan and Florence who all jostled for possession of it. Florence won and gave Michelangelo free reign over choice of marble in the quarries. From here came the marble for his David and his Pieta.

It is currently the home of many artists including Colombian born sculptor and painter, Fernando Botero.

The town map.

An interesting sculpture in the square.

It is nice to see the town again as I visited the other students here for a few days. I seem to remember the beach was particularly spectacular with its white sand dunes.

In the large vicinity around the town we see marble yards everywhere.

Just a quick shot of another town we drive through which lines their streets with orange trees. A bit of a mess, but if I lived here, I would never buy another orange for all the free ones available!

 

And off we head further up north to camp at Dieva Marina tonight.