Viareggio

Viareggio is one of the most beautiful coastal towns in Italy. It is the second-largest city in the province of Lucca, after Lucca, with a population of approximately 62,000 people. The city dates back to the first half of the 16th century when it became the Republic of Lucca's only seaport. Viareggio is also an active industrial and manufacturing hub; its shipbuilding industry has long been famous around the world, and the city's fishing and floricultural industries are still important economic drivers.

The coastal resort town of Viareggio, located in northern Tuscany amid the hills where the marble for Michelangelo's "David" was quarried and only 15 minutes by rail from Pisa and its leaning tower, is rich in history and culture. Viareggio has held one of Italy's largest and best yearly Carnival events since 1873. Its beachfront promenade is slightly under two miles long and adorned with Art Nouveau architecture. The Savoy Cinema, built in 1925, and the 16th-century Matilda Tower, which dates back to Viareggio's early days as a military coastal outpost for the Republic of Lucca, are two more architectural gems in town. Torre Matilde, erected by the Lucchesi in 1541 as a defensive structure against the persistent threat of corsair incursions, may be seen.

Location: Lucca, Italy

Google Rating: 4.5/5