Massa
Massa is a town with 69 022 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) in Tuscany 114 km west of Florence. It is the capital of the province of Massa- Carrara.
Massa is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Massa Carrara - Pontremoli. The city is one of the places on the Via Francigena, the old pilgrim route from England to Rome.
Geography
Location
Massa extends from the Ligurian coast to the Apuan Alps. The highest point of the municipality is the Monte Tambura with 1890 m above sea level. About half of the municipality lies on the coastal plain and the other half form hill and mountain country.
Neighboring communities
Just north of Massa Carrara is the town. The other neighboring municipalities are Fivizzano, Minucciano, Montignoso, Seravezza, Stazzema and Vagli Sotto.
Boroughs
Massa is divided into five administrative districts ( circoscrizioni ).
The various fractions ( districts ) are partly districts of Massa and Marina di Massa, some villages in the mountains: Altagnana, Alteta, Antona, Baita, Bargana, Bergiola, Borgo del Ponte, Bozzone, Caglieglia, Campareccia, Canevara, Capaccola, i Cappuccini, Casette, Castagnara, Castagnetola, Castagnola, Cervara, cinque vie, Ciremea, Codupino, Cupid, Forno, Le Grazie, Gronda, Grondini, Guadine, Le Iare, Lavacchio, Marina di Massa, Mirteto, Monte Pepe, Ortola, Pariana, La Partaccia, Pian della Fioba, Poggiolo, Poggioletto, il Ponte, Poveromo, Poveromo maquis, Quercioli, Redicesi, Resceto, Ricortola, Rinchiostra, Rocca, Romagnano, Ronchi, San Carlo Terme, San Cristoforo, Santa Lucia, Il Santo, Be Pontian, Turano, Vergheto, Volpigliano, Zecca.
During the period of Italian fascism Massa was combined in 1938 with the places Carrara and Montignoso the municipality Apuania. This congregation was dissolved in 1946 again. Since then, the place is self-employed.
Old town
The old town of Massa, is located about two and a half kilometers from the coast, the river Frigido, which flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the seaside resort of Marina di Massa. The historic Massa belong dominated by the castle center of the Upper Town and the scale in the 16th century lower town with the cathedral, which dates back to a church of 1389. The center is dotted with orange trees Piazza degli Aranci. On the south side of the square is the Palazzo Cybo - Malaspina is in baroque style with a red-yellow- white accented facade. The imposing structure is still part of the former city domination of the Malaspina family from the Cinquecento.
Traffic
The narrow plain between the Apuan Alps and the Mediterranean has always been an important route on Italy's west coast. Here was the Roman Via Aurelia (now State Road 1). In the 19th century, the railway line was Viareggio - La Spezia built. The A12 motorway runs through Massa. In Massa is an airfield for general aviation.
Culture
The National Esperanto Library of Italy was founded in 1972. Since 1994 she has been publicly available.
Sports
Marina di Massa in 1988, 1996 and 2007 goal of a stage of the Giro d' Italia.
Policy
Roberto Pucci (La Sinistra - L' Arcobaleno ) was elected in April 2008 to the mayor.
Twin Cities
- Bad Kissingen Germany, since 1960
- France Vernon
- Nowy Sacz Poland, since 2007
Economy
Massa is (next to the region of Carrara) main square for the Tuscan marble mining.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Francesco Colombini (1588-1671), composer of the Baroque and canon
- John Brunetti (1626-1703), Titular Bishop of Lacedaemonia and Auxiliary Bishop of Breslau
- Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi (1726-1804 Rome ), Composer
- Alberigo Evani ( born 1963 ), football player and coach
- Giovanni Francini ( born 1963 ), football player
- Roberto Mussi ( born 1963 ), football player
- Olaf Thorsen (born 1971 ), guitarist
- Andrea Coda ( born 1985 ), football player
- Andrea Manfredi (* 1992), cyclist