Touristic Informations about Viareggio

Viareggio ist the larger and most inhabitated city of Versilia. The city developed in the last century, till reaching the dimensions which are rather remarkable.Its economy is based on tourism, commerce, handicraft, shipbuilding, fishing and the naval industry. In its suburbs is a rich agricultural industry of protected cultivations.

Historical informations about the city

Viareggio traces its origins from a castle that people from Lucca and Genova, that were allied against Pisa, built up in 1172 on the seashore, to defense the coast and the surrounding territory. The origin of the name derives from the tracing of the medioeval "via regia", a road called in this way in honor of the emperor Federico Barbarossa, and that it served as connection between the fort itself and the inland. In 1534, near the fort, nowadays not more existing, was erected the Matilde Tower by people from Lucca, with prison function. The tower is still visitable and often it comes used like center for photographic painting and sculpture exibitions. Between 1700 and 1800 Viareggio recalled people from the near localities and also many noble families from Lucca who settled down in the zone. The inhabited nucleus became bigger and bigger, the activities of fishing, shipbuilding became more and more important, so that in 1819 the duchess of Lucca, Maria Luisa di Borbone, made build the first dock and in 1820 Viareggio was elevated to the rank of "city".

What you can visit

The better place to have a walk in the center of Viareggio is Viale Margherita, one of the most beautiful and rich in storees avenues in Italy. Leaving from Piazza Mazzini and going towards the dock and the port (to south), you can admire some of the most beautiful palaces of the city, which alternate the styles from the neogothic to the liberty, the neoclassic to the oriental d