Its translation means "holy
stone", most probably because the economy of this beautiful small medieval town has
been the working and shaping of white marble (the precious stone used for religious
purposes) for centuries.
Thanks to its location at the foot of the mountains producing "the stone"
in a quiet valley only 3 miles from the beach and 5 miles from Viareggio,
Pietrasanta has become the destination of artists and intellectuals; many of them have
chosen to reside here: the first one,who contributed to the notoriety of this village was
the British Sculptor Henry Moore, but the most famous contemporary artist who lives here
is the Colombian Fernando Botero.
Its historic centre has become a paceful pedestrian area, thus giving the village
its ancient atmosphere. Old "trattorie" ( small restaurants with traditional
home made simple cooking ) and café-bars on the square are the meeting points of
families, young people and artists in the long, warm Summer evenings.
This is WHY PIETRASANTA.
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