Forte Beach Clubs
Evolution rooted in tradition
Tourism in Forte dei Marmi started in the 19th century, but it was in the early 20th century that the town’s seaside identity truly took shape. The first beach club, Bagno Onda Marina, opened in 1904.
From the 1910s onward, beach clubs began to flourish and the structures we still admire today started to appear. Wood was the material of choice, shaped into the graceful lines of Versilia’s Liberty style. Over time, of course, most establishments evolved, sometimes dramatically. The 1960s and 1970s, a period of booming coastal tourism, brought significant rethinking of spaces, layouts, and materials.
One of the most iconic features of Forte’s beach clubs is their signage – each sign is a snapshot of the era in which it was created, from the early decades of the 1900s onward. Today, a stroll along the seaside avenues tells a visual story that rivals any history book: a living gallery of typography and design tracing more than a century of evolving styles.
ph. Federico Neri
