Torre del Lago Puccini (Viareggio), Rapolano Terme

Overview

Viareggio, thanks to its beaches, is mainly identified as a seaside resort, but it also boasts its proximity to the inland mountains and the presence of Lake Massaciuccoli and the protected areas of the Migliarino San Rossore Park. There are many national and international events that punctuate the year: from the Carnival which celebrates 150 years this year, to the Puccini Festival for music, to the Viareggio Cup for sport, and the Rèpaci Prize for literature.

The light of Viareggio is warm, at times dazzling. It spreads from the sea to the beaches, crosses the historic baths, the deco architecture of the promenade, continues over the bridge and arrives at the fishing port. From the pier, it runs along the Burlamacca canal which connects the city center and outskirts and reaches the docks where, thanks to the excellence of the Viareggio shipyards, some of the most beautiful boats in the world are built. And then Torre del Lago, in the silence and quiet of Puccini’s lake, just punctuated by the rustle of an oar on the water or the singing of birds that reveal the mysteries of the historic homes. An urban and maritime scenario that fills the eyes and heart.

Gastronomy

Typical dishes not to be missed during a stay in Viareggio.

Trabaccolara pasta

“Trabaccolara” is a traditional Viareggio dish that was born as a poor dish, made with seabed fish that remained unsold at the market. The name derives from the lugger, a boat used by the fishermen of San Benedetto del Tronto, some of whom moved to Viareggio between the 1920s and the end of the 1930s. To prepare it you need fish such as gurnard, scorpion fish, weever, to which some add crustaceans and molluscs (which however are not part of the traditional recipe). In this recipe the fish are cooked with tomatoes and flavored with wine and aromatic herbs.

Risotto with cuttlefish and chard

It comes from the union of flavors of land and sea and is a classic to eat in the kitchens of local festivals during the Carnival period. To prepare it you need to brown the cuttlefish, add the chard cut into strips, once it has wilted add the rice and at the end of cooking finish the dish with the chopped parsley. Enjoy your meal!

Cacciucco alla viareggina

Strictly with double “C”! A dish that derives from the poor tradition of fishermen and which finds its origins as far back as 1500. The name derives from the Turkish term “kuciuk” which means “small”: a fish soup that fishermen used to prepare on board returning from a fishing trip at sea. The peculiarity of the Viareggio cacciucco is that it has all the poor fish that were discarded by the fishermen because they would have had little market on land. To be served at the table strictly accompanied by toasted homemade bread and preferably rubbed with garlic. The flavor is strong and decisive, slightly spicy.

Spaghetti with niches

Do you know what niches are? It is the Viareggio term used to refer to clams or clams. These are small bivalve molluscs found in sandy seabeds. They are cooked in a very simple but really tasty way. The spaghetti in bianco is seasoned with the clams cooked in the pan, after having drained them of the sand by placing them in a bowl with water at least the evening before. During cooking, white wine, garlic, chilli pepper and parsley are added at the end of cooking.

Spaghetti with cutlass

The city, so linked to its Carnival, has a repertoire of popular songs to envy: one of the most famous by Adriano Barghetti goes like this: “We are all cutlasses and at every Marettone we always find ourselves in the middle of the lavarone” (title ” Cha cha cha of the cutlasses”). Coltellacci are known outside the borders of Viareggio as razor clams. The typical term derives from their elongated shape which is similar to that of a knife. They are molluscs with a long and narrow shape that are caught after sea storms, along the shoreline or near the rocks. They are prepared plain or with the addition of tomatoes and have a strong and intense flavour.

The shoe

We close with a dessert that, in reality, is not dessert. We are talking about the sweet shoe that is usually eaten as a dessert at the end of a meal but is also not disdained as a snack or snack during the day. A real cake that has the particularity of having courgettes cut into very thin strips as an ingredient. The resulting flavor is a mix of sweet and savory that will hit the palate. Absolutely worth trying.

Points of interest

The walk

The Viareggio Promenade is one of the most evocative and fascinating places in all of Versilia: a long pedestrian street dotted with valuable buildings with Art Nouveau and deco features, designed by Alfredo Belluomini and Galileo Chini. It extends for 3 kilometers and represents the urban moment qualifying the image of the holiday resort and the catwalk of international social life.

The palace of the Muses

Born as a Maritime Hospice, in 1912 it became a permanent colony for the treatment of subjects suffering from tuberculosis diseases and in need of a stay at the seaside. Today the building houses the municipal library, the historical documentary center and the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art which represents one of the most important national exhibition centers specialized in the sector: an overview of Italian and European art of the twentieth century.

The Matilde Tower

The history of the Matilde Tower coincides with the history of Viareggio: an example of 16th century military architecture, as a silent guardian of the coast, the tower is witness to centuries of life that has grown and changed around it. After various events and uses, it is currently home to temporary cultural and exhibition activities.

The Maritime Museum

The Museum was created to enhance the finds linked to the history of the Viareggio navy and beyond. It is divided into different thematic sections, dedicated to on-board equipment, shipyards, seafarers and shipwrights and caulkers.

Giacomo Puccini House Museum

The house, transformed into a museum in 1925 by his son Antonio, has remained unchanged over time, offering the opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the place where the Maestro found inspiration for his masterpieces.

Villa Museum Paolina Bonaparte

The villa of Princess Paolina Bonaparte was built in 1822, along what were then the northern limits of Viareggio: the project was entrusted to the architect Giovanni Lazzarini. The building was built on the seashore with the aim of creating a small residence secluded from worldliness and in direct contact with nature: currently the Villa hosts temporary art exhibitions and is home to cultural events.

Villa Bourbon

Villa Borbone is certainly among the most fascinating historical places in the city of Viareggio. Restored and used as a multipurpose space by the Municipality, it is located in one of the most evocative corners of the Versilia area: along the Viale dei Tigli within the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Natural Park, a magical territory, of which the Villa is a privileged entrance. In the summer season the Villa hosts musical events, cultural events and theatrical performances.

The nautical district

Viareggio is the heart of one of the most important nautical districts, the spearhead of a region where the nautical supply chain is oriented towards the superyacht sector with 5,000 companies and around 18,000 direct employees. The entire district can count on a production value of 2 billion euros in total, equal to 50% of the national figure, and a foreign clientele equal to 95% in the superyacht sector. The economic sector linked to nautical includes a great variety of activities, professions and trades involving more than 70 different types of profiles from industry to tourism. In Viareggio, around 1,300 companies operate in the 360° nautical sector, with 8,000 employees employed in shipbuilding, subcontracting, services and repairs, trade and rental and port area activities. There are 10 major global shipbuilding brands that have their headquarters in Viareggio.

Overview

The municipality of Rapolano Terme extends between the wooded hills of Chianti, the Val di Chiana and the Crete Senesi. This sea of ​​land is a work of art created by the toil and hard work of farmers, artisans and the ingenuity of its inhabitants. An infinity where villages, parish churches, castles, farms appear.

Gastronomy

In this land, high quality products such as cereals, olive trees, vines are grown, or land is left dedicated to grazing. Excellent oil, excellent vegetables and meats, fragrant pecorino, obtained from the milk of sheep who are lucky enough to feed on the variety of herbs from the Crete pastures. The cuisine is the traditional and essential one of rural Tuscany. Vegetable soups, bread soups that can become “ribolliti” the next day, fresh handmade pasta, grilled meats. Rapolano boasts a dessert called the “focaccia rapolanese”, a delight that can only be tasted in local bakeries and restaurants. Two discs of shortcrust pastry and almonds enclosing a delicious custard.

Points of Interest

Rapolano Terme is synonymous with thermal waters and therefore well-being. The San Giovanni spa and the Antica Querciolaia spa complex are the right places to find comfort in the vapors and give the body and mind moments of relaxation.
The benefits of its spa have been known since ancient times with archaeological excavations that testify to the healing abilities of its waters.
The vocation to stay in well-being and to be well is completed by trekking and bike routes that wind through an area of ​​great landscape and naturalistic value. The Crete Senesi cycle route project is noteworthy.
An important village in the municipality is Serre di Rapolano. The center of the town winds around the thirteenth-century architectural complex of Grancia, Granaione and Tinaia which are part of the network of fortified farms (the grance), belonging to the Sienese hospital of Santa Maria della Scala.