Hotel Palagi
Pietrasanta - Piazza Carducci, 23
Book now
Pietrasanta, an ancient medieval town, is located in the province of Lucca. It is considered the historic capital of Versilia and the heart of artistic marble craftsmanship. A town with a strong tourist appeal, its locality of Marina di Pietrasanta is a renowned seaside resort, whilst its mountains are a fascinating destination.
The beauty of the historic centre sits perfectly alongside the workshops of marble artisans, renowned bronze foundries and studios where artistically crafted mosaics are created and appreciated worldwide. Pietrasanta remains true to its traditions, showcasing interesting examples of religious, military and civil architecture. In its religious art, which displays various influences, Pisan influence with its Byzantine elements and Gothic style are easily recognisable.
Its artistic heritage, undoubtedly linked to the town’s history, comprises fine works by celebrated master sculptors. Historical research notes the passage of the great Michelangelo, who lived here whilst selecting marble for his works from the nearby quarries and negotiated the purchase of marble for the façade of S. Lorenzo in Florence.
Pietrasanta is delightful and certainly worth a visit. There are several things to see in the historic centre and its immediate surroundings – here are the main attractions.
The Cathedral of San Martino was built in the 14th century and underwent major renovation in the 17th century, which led to the replacement of altars from the 14th and 15th centuries. Significant restoration work took place during the 19th century.
Standing atop a broad flight of marble steps, the church has a marble façade with four smooth pilasters marking three sections, topped by sequences of decorative arches that continue along the sides. At the centre of the façade is a richly decorated rose window, and above the three doors are barrel-vault lunettes with bas-reliefs depicting the Crucifixion (centre), the Resurrection (left) and the Pietà (right).
A large Medici coat of arms sits above the cathedral’s central door, beside which is a bas-relief depicting St John the Baptist. The distinctive brick campanile, which according to the original design was meant to be clad in marble, stands approximately 36 metres tall and dates from the 16th century.
The Rocchetta Arrighina was built by Castruccio Castracani in the 14th century and named after his son Arrigo. In the following century it was rebuilt by Francione and La Cecca along with the Porta a Pisa: this, the only surviving one of three ancient gates in the town walls, features the sinopia of an Annunciation attributed to Astolfo Petrazzi, dating to approximately the 18th century. The original fresco, detached, is displayed at the Palazzo Municipale.
The complex formed by the Church of S. Agostino and the adjacent former convent with its distinctive cloister represents, together with other monuments overlooking Pietrasanta’s Piazza del Duomo, an area of great historical and artistic importance. The church was built from the 14th century onwards by Augustinian friars, already present in hermitages across Versilia, who later built the adjoining convent.
The church has a floor laid out on three levels, following the slope of the hill at whose foot the building stands, and is dotted with numerous burial plaques of ancient noble families from Pietrasanta and Lucca. The nine altars, except the first on the left, are all adorned with paintings. Additionally, 18th-century frescoes and wall decorations are present, brought to light through restoration work.
Following the Napoleonic suppression of monastic orders, the entire complex became municipal property. Subsequently the convent housed the Scolopi school and later continued to serve as a school building. Extensive restoration work, begun in the late 1970s, enabled the complete recovery of the complex, which today houses the “Luigi Russo” Cultural Centre and accommodates the Giosuè Carducci Municipal Library and the sketches museum.
Overlooking the main square of the historic centre, in the immediate vicinity of the Cathedral and the S. Agostino complex, Palazzo Moroni, with its characteristic double external staircase, is one of Pietrasanta’s most important buildings. It resulted from the union of two pre-existing buildings: a residence of the Augustinian Fathers and the home of notary Morrone Morroni, to provide more suitable accommodation for the Chancellery and a more comfortable residence for the Chancellor.
The interiors feature cross vaults on the ground floor; particularly striking is the large hall that spans the full width of the building on the second floor, lit by a skylight on the roof. In addition to housing the Chancellery and its archive containing records of all institutions operating across Pietrasanta’s territory, the building later became the seat of the Town Hall, which it remained until World War II. Later used for offices of various bodies and associations, the palazzo today houses the municipal historical archive and the Bruno Antonucci Versilia Archaeological Museum.
It was built by decree of Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici in 1592 outside the ancient Porta a Massa, which opened where present-day Via Mazzini is located. Equipped with stables for twenty horses, it served as an inn and hotel.
The poet Giosuè Carducci was born here in 1835. The building, a national monument, was acquired by the Municipality of Pietrasanta in 1912 through public subscription. It preserves memorabilia and mementos.
There are many places to stay in Pietrasanta’s historic centre; these are mostly apartments and bed and breakfasts, housed within ancient buildings and excellently restored. There are also a few hotels, though admittedly not many, rated 3 or 4 stars.
Outside the historic centre you can stay in some apartments, very convenient in terms of services, road access and parking ease, though considerably less attractive from a tourist perspective, as they are situated at a distance from the historic centre that doesn’t allow you to walk there.
Finally, the option of staying in Marina di Pietrasanta always remains valid, ideal if you want to combine a seaside break with a visit to the Tuscan countryside.
Pietrasanta is excellently connected by road and motorway to the rest of Tuscany, being less than 6 kilometres from the Versilia exit of the A12 motorway Genova-Rosignano Marittimo. In fact, distances from Tuscan cities are never excessive: from Florence for example it takes just over an hour, from Livorno 40 minutes, from Pisa roughly half an hour. It’s also approximately half an hour from the centre of Lucca, its provincial capital.
Pietrasanta also has a railway station, located on the Pisa-La Spezia line, which continues north towards Milan and south towards Rome. Reaching Pietrasanta by public transport is therefore very straightforward: regional and intercity trains stop at the station, and once you’ve alighted a pleasant 5-minute walk brings you to the historic centre.
What's the weather at Pietrasanta? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Pietrasanta for the next few days.
Pietrasanta sits in the province of Lucca, inland from the Versilia coast, and encompasses the exclusive seaside resort of Marina di Pietrasanta.
Hotel 
Budget accommodations 
Apartments 
Family Hotel 
Luxury Hotel 
Resorts