HK Independent Traveller Blog

  Pietrasanta is a historical town and lies about 3km inland on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps.   The town has always been popular for sculptors and painters and become a gathering place for artists from all over the world, mostly due to its location so close to the marble quarries of Carrara. Famous artists include Michelangelo centuries ago and the contemporary ones like Fernando Botero and Igor Mitoraj .  We were welcome by some pieces of sculpture once left the railway station. As one walks around the town, it will see contemporary art and sculpture artworks in the Museo dei Bozzetti and its open-air extension in many streets, squares and surroundings of Pietrasanta. If you are interested in the pieces of art and exact locations, be sure to read the map at the entrance of the town. Apart from sculpture, Pietrasanta is enriched with numerous historical splendid buildings. Art workshops dot every street. One can easily feel the creative energy throughout. I...

  Carrara is a town and commune in Tuscany. Massa is its twin town. They form the province of Massa and Carrara , renowned for its white or blue-grey marble quarries. The earliest settlement is dated from 9 th century BC. In 2 nd century BC, the Romans built borough to house workers to quarry the marble.   Marble was transported to the nearby harbor of Luni at the river Magra and shipped further for architectural use or sculpture creation. Notable examples are the  Pantheon , David and Piet à from Michelangelo .  We stayed for a short while in the town of Carrara but had magnificent views over the beautiful white tip mountain ranges from different places. We arrived at Piazza Gramsci / d'Armi after parking our car. Originally the square was part of the princely garden. It underwent subsequent changes and became a public space at the end of 19 th century. It is surrounded by elegant buildings and greens / trees dotted here and there. An enormous light gre...