Forte dei Marmi

As you stroll through the historic streets of central Forte dei Marmi, the distinctive square silhouette of the Forte Lorenese (known simply as “Il Fortino”) stands out as one of the town’s most recognizable symbols. Built as a fortification in 1788 at the behest of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, it is the very structure from which Forte dei Marmi takes its name. Its iconic rounded corners facing the sea support a three-story building crowned by two small towers: one once used to fly the flag, the other to signal danger with smoke. Originally designed to defend the coast from pirates, the Fortino stood in what was then a vast open square, today’s Piazza Garibaldi, the historic hub of marble trade and goods arriving from the hills. Over the centuries, the Fortino served many purposes: customs warehouse, lodging, guard barracks, kitchens, and a cistern for drinking water. More recently, it housed the Guardia di Finanza, the Beach Delegation, and the Post Office. Since 1988, the Fortino has been part of the town’s municipal heritage. Following a careful restoration, it now hosts prestigious art exhibitions, cultural events, and important displays.

Discover the fascinating story of the Fortino Lorenese

Information

• Municipality of Forte dei Marmi, Culture and Events Office: Phone +39 0584 2801
• Tourist Information Office: Phone +39 0584280292 - forteinfo@comunefdm.it

The well was installed in Piazza Garibaldi in 1842, where it still stands today. Its water was once used to supply ships setting sail and to water the animals that pulled carts, carriages, and stagecoaches transporting goods and passengers.

Learn more about the well in Piazza Garibaldi

Built in 1900, the fountain in Piazza Garibaldi bears the coat of arms of the Municipality of Pietrasanta and the following inscription: “The Municipality of Pietrasanta, Puliti and Frullani Mayors, wanted to enrich Forte dei Marmi with abundant and healthy water by completing the Andreotti project.” Since then, its fresh water has quenched the thirst of both residents and visitors alike.

Find out more about the Fountain

Located just outside the Fortino, the Victory Monument was created in 1937 by sculptor Arturo Dazzi. At the base of the statue lies a marble basin once used as a watering trough for the oxen and horses that transported stone from the mountains to the sea.

Visit the page dedicated to the Victory Monument

Also known as Piazza della Rimembranza, in remembrance of those who fell in all wars, this square is home to the War Memorial, carved in travertine marble by sculptor Mario Figliè. The surrounding gardens – today a venue for exhibitions, fairs, and antique markets – frame the imposing building. Built in 1922, it once served for many years as classrooms for the local scientific high school, which now houses the Town Hall of Forte dei Marmi.

“We, the people of Forte dei Marmi, lose our horizon without the pier”
Fabio Genovesi, writer

Standing at the end of Forte dei Marmi’s Pontile, all it takes is a glance, from the sea to the mountains beyond, to sense the full sweep of its history. When Forte grew into a major port for marble transport, loading stones directly from the beach was no longer enough; a long pier was built to carry the blocks out to sea. It was 1788. Designed by Giovanni Costantini, the original pier was five meters wide and 325 meters long. Constructed of wood, it featured rails to ease the movement of loading carts and even a steam train that ran all the way to the ships. At its far end stood a crane known as “la Mancina”. Its remains, recovered from the sea in 1986 through the initiative of the Compagnia della Vela, were later transformed into a monument dedicated to maritime workers, located in the pine grove between Via Spinetti and Viale Italico. Around 1930, the pier was extended and fitted with a gate and a small guardhouse. Just over a decade later, during the Second World War, it was bombed and destroyed, only to be rebuilt in 1955 with reinforced concrete. The pier has reached us in the form we see today. Today, the Pontile serves as a gathering place for fishermen, artists, residents, and visitors alike. In summer, it hosts major cultural, musical, and social events, as well as the famous fireworks on August 28, celebrating the town’s patron saint. It is a place of quiet poetry and open horizons, offering sweeping views of the sea, the Apuan Alps, from Monte Sagro to Monte Matanna, with the majestic Monte Pania right at the center, and the coastline stretching from the La Spezia islands to beyond Viareggio.

Installed on the marble-loading pier of Forte dei Marmi in 1877, La Mancina was a powerful iron crane used to lower marble blocks into the holds of cargo ships. Its name, meaning “the left-handed one,” derived from its distinctive feature of rotating only to the left. In September 1943, during the German occupation, the loading pier (Pontile Caricatore) was demolished, deemed a potential support for enemy troops. With it, La Mancina was also brought down, sinking into the sea.

The first recovery effort took place in September 1986, led by divers Giuseppe Lottini and Enrico Boncompagni. On November 24, 1993, Giuseppe Foffa, President of the Association of Maritime Workers, revived the initiative with the aim of creating a monument in memory of La Mancina, which was inaugurated on May 1, 1995, based on a design by architect Tito Salvatori. Among the promoters of the project were Emilio Barberi, recipient of the Gold Medal for Military Valor, Captains Ettore Polacci and Galliano Raffaelli, seaman Luciano Figlié, and Luciano Luciani.

The monument brings together several recovered fragments, which are partially destroyed and broken (including the main axle, the gear housing, and part of a cogwheel). The marble base, installed by Ennio Bazzichi, building contractor and Knight of the Italian Republic, features three white marble bas-reliefs sculpted by Rino Giannini, depicting the demanding work of transporting marble from the quarries down to the sea.

The most recent operation connected to “La Mancina” took place in January 2017, carried out by Sub Versilia Forte dei Marmi and its president, Primo Cardini, with an underwater inspection to locate the crane’s arm, which still rests on the seabed.

Learn more about the Monument to La Mancina

From the very early days of the town’s development, the residents of Forte dei Marmi felt the need for a place of worship where they could gather for prayer and attend the religious services. A small church was therefore erected along what is now Via Duca d’Aosta. It was not until 1890 that the present church, together with its bell tower, was constructed. In 1911, it was elevated to the status of a parish by then Cardinal Pietro Maffi, thereby gaining independence from the Pievania of Querceta. The church was dedicated to Saint Ermete, martyr and patron saint of Forte dei Marmi.

As Vittoria Apuana’s district grew after land parcels were divided, the community needed a dedicated place of worship. From 1926 to 1933, the Church of Vittoria Apuana was constructed and dedicated to Saint Francis. The building was completed without a bell tower, but it features extensive use of marble from nearby Apuan Alps quarries. These local materials are still visible today in the church’s window frames, floors, columns, and altar. In front of the church, there's a sculpture by Arturo Dazzi, unveiled in 1962 with the artist present. Born in Carrara and long resident of Forte dei Marmi, Dazzi sculpted the piece from a single marble block. It depicts the well-known scene of Saint Francis speaking with the wolf.

Villa Bertelli is in the heart of Vittoria Apuana. Erected in 1896 as the headquarters of the Società Italiana Prodotti Esplodenti (SIPE), it had its own wooden pier on the waterfront for loading and shipping goods abroad. After World War I, demand for military equipment declined sharply. Thanks to the foresight of the local administration, the town shifted focus from industry to tourism. SIPE soon ceased operations, and the pier was dismantled around 1930. In 1926, Ilio Bertelli bought the building and turned it into a hotel, giving it the name “Villa Bertelli.” The hotel remained in operation until 1971. In the early 2000s, the Municipality of Forte dei Marmi purchased the estate and, after a thorough restoration by architect Tiziano Lera, converted it into a spacious cultural and exhibition center. Today, Villa Bertelli hosts cultural events and art exhibitions year-round, both in the internal halls and in the surrounding garden-park.

Info

Villa Bertelli, via Mazzini 200
Phone +39 0584 787251
segreteria@villabertelli.it
www.villabertelli.it

The Ugo Guidi Museum is located in Vittoria Apuana, in the very house where the artist lived until his passing on July 10, 1977. Ugo Guidi (1912–1977) was born on September 14 in Querceta (Lucca) and studied sculpture and architecture at the Istituto d’Arte di Pietrasanta and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara. A professor of sculpture at the Carrara Academy, Guidi held his first solo exhibition in 1956 in Florence, thanks to the support of Ottone Rosai. Some of his works were exhibited at the Hermitage Museum and in various museums at the request of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; one hundred of his drawings were donated to the Uffizi Gallery’s Department of Prints and Drawings; and some of his sculptures are held in collections such as Palazzo Pitti, the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (GAM) in Rome, the Sports Museum of Barcelona, and the Consejo Superior del Deportes in Madrid. Today, the house-museum regularly hosts contemporary art exhibitions, cultural events, and artistic gatherings.

Museo Ugo Guidi, via Matteo Civitali 33
Phone +39 348 020538
museougoguidi@gmail.com
By appointment only

The Ugo Guidi Museum: a fascinating Artist’s Home in Forte dei Marmi